Kieana
by rubberduckybugati
Summary: Kieana is the younger sister of Haldir, Orophin and Rumil and has lived all her life in Lothlorien except for trips to Imaldris to visit Lord Elrond and his family. She is a Galadhrim guard and defends the borders of the Golden Wood with her brothers. When they learn of Gandalfs loss in Moria she joins the fellowship on the quest to destroy the Ring. RATING MAY CHANGE.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I do not own The Lord of The Rings or any of its Characters or places, they belong to Tolkien.**

**A/N: This is my first LOTR fan fiction, so reviews would be great! It is Legolas/OC and tenth walker which I know has been done many times but please give it a chance! This is the first chapter!**

Chapter One:

I slowly climb the stairs to my talan and deposit my bow, quiver and knives in the corner near the door before collapsing on my bed. It has been a long night pursuing a pack of Orcs who ventured of the river into our realm and I am looking forward to a few hours of sleep. I pull off my boots about to climb into bed when I hear feet coming up the stairs. Crossing the room quickly I pick up my bow and nock an arrow aiming it at the entrance to the talan and wait for the person to arrive. I let out a sigh of relief and lower my bow when I see the golden hair and pointed ears of an Elf emerging through the hole in the floor.

"Announce yourself next time I could have shot you!" I say lightly reprimanding the young Elf as he enters my room.

"I am sorry Lady Kieana. I will announce myself in the future." he says bowing his head respectfully.

"You are young and still learning, do not be to hard on yourself." I say smiling at him "I recall a time when I was your age I came up behind a Galadhrim Captain and found myself pushed up against a tree with a knife to my throat. And you can call me Kieana"

The young elf smiles appreciatively and relaxes his stiff posture a little. "I bring word from the Lord and Lady. They wish to see you in one hour." he says.

"Do you know what they wish to see me about?" I ask a little nervousness creeping into my tone.

"No my L-Kieana I don't. I was just tasked with finding you and some of the other members of the Border Guard and informing you of the Lord and Lady's request." he says.

"Thankyou for letting me know. Tell Lady Galadriel and Lord Celeborn that I will be there." I say.

"I will. Do you know where I might find Captain Haldir?" he asks.

"We just got back from a patrol so he'll either be in the Armoury or at his talan." I reply.

"Thankyou all for answering our summons so swiftly, I am aware that many of you were part of the group that dispatched the company of Orcs that attempted to cross the Nimorodel last night so we will not keep you long for I know you wish to rest before your next watch." Celeborn says.

"We have received word from Rivendell that a company of nine left on a quest to destroy the One Ring. The Lord Elrond has informed us that they may pass this way, and seek to enter the Golden Wood. They will be lead by Mithrandir and with him will be two men one of whom is Aragorn son of Arathorn, a dwarf, four hobbits and an elf Legolas of the Woodland realm of Mirkwood. They will be here by nightfall and are permitted to enter the wood and rest here for a time before continuing to Mordor." Galadriel says.

"Would you like us to bring them into Caras Galadhon?" Haldir asks.

"Yes, bring them to the city and allow them to make camp for the night, I wish to speak to them all before they depart." Galadriel says.

"It will be done my Lady." he says bowing to her.

"You may go now, rest and be ready to meet the company at dusk." Celeborn says as he and Galadriel make their exit.

"Come Kieana we have but a few hours to rest before the Fellowship is due to arrive, and I know you wish to sharpen your swords and freshen up before they arrive." Haldir says gesturing for me to follow him.

"I have never met an elf from the Greenwood before, are they much different from us?" I ask as we walk back towards our talans.

"They are similar to us, but not the same. They dwell in the woods as we do but the Greenwood is still effected by the darkness of Dol Guldor. The forest is inhabited by many foul creatures. Spiders and Orcs and remnants of the armies of Gundabad and Dol Guldor. King Thranduil and his people are constantly fighting to keep the enemy away from their borders." Haldir explains.

"It doesn't sound like a place I would like to vistit." I say.

"It was beautiful once, but it has been tainted by many years of war and darkness. There is beauty still in the forest where our kin dwell." Orophin says.

"I do not think I would like to visit it, I doubt it is as beautiful as Imaldris and Lorien" i say.

"I am sure Prince Legolas will have a different view on that. Maybe you can ask him when he arrives." Rumil comments.

"Prince? The elf that travels with the Ring is a Prince?" I ask.

"Legolas Thranduilion, yes he is the Prince of the Woodland realm." Haldir says.

"The King sent his son on a quest to destroy the Ring of Power? Would he not be better served to keep him in his home battling the evils that besiege his borders?" I ask.

"I do not have the authority to question the King of Mirkwood. But I believe the Prince was sent to Imaldris to represent his father at the Council and bear tidings of the escape of Gollum. How he came to join the Fellowship I do not know but I am sure it is not a decision that was made lightly." he says.

"Have you met Legolas?" I ask.

"I have met him on a few occasions when we have had dealings with the elves of Mirkwood. He is good friends with Elladan and Elrohir they speak very highly of him as does the Lady Arwen, they have known each other for many years, and even on occasion fought side by side to protect their lands. There is much respect for him among the Dunedain and the elves of Imaldris for he is said to be skilled with the bow and more easy going than his father who at times I have heard can be quite harsh and cruel." Haldir says.

"Ai but he has had to fight to keep his borders free of evil beings for many years so perhaps his harshness is understandable if it keeps his people safe." Orophin comments. "The Necromancer was active in southern Greenwood for many years before he was finally driven out by Mithrandir and the White council causing him to flee to Mordor where he still resides building his armies and searching for the Ring."

I shudder involuntarily at the mention of Sauron, and draw my cloak closer around my shoulders. "I hope the quest to destroy the ring is a success and the world is finally rid of the darkness that has plagued it for so long. The downfall of Sauron cannot come quick enough." I say.

"On that point all the free peoples of Middle Earth can agree." Haldir comments.

"Well I am going to take my leave now to freshen up and try to get a few hours rest before the Fellowship arrives." I say.

"Yes go now little sister, go and get your beauty rest before meeting the Woodland Prince." Rumil says with a grin.

"It is said that he is greatly admired by the she-elves of Mirkwood and Imaldris, his golden hair and deep hazel eyes seem to make many of elleths the swoon." Orophin says and the two of the burst into laughter.

I glare at the two of them over my shoulder as I start to climb the ladder to my room. "I care not what his reputation is among the elleths." I say which only causes them to laugh harder.

**A/N: Well thats it! Chapter one is finished. Please take the time to leave a quick review and let me know what you think. Would you like me to continue the story? What do you think of Kieana so far? **


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

**Disclaimer: I do not own The Lord of The Rings or any of its Characters or places, they belong to Tolkien.**

**A/N: Chapter Two is here! Thanks for reading! Please take the time to leave a quick review or follow, fav the story if you like it! And don't hesitate to PM me if you have any questions!**

I walk through the forest enjoying the familiar smell of the Mellyrn trees I have lived with since i was an elfling. I love everything about these tall beautiful trees, from their smooth bark, to their big golden leaves that litter the forest floor in autumn. I could not imagine living in any other place than right here in Lorien high above the ground in my talan, patrolling the borders and protecting the city from the evil creatures that would seek to destroy it. I sigh contentedly and stroke the bark of the nearest Mallorn before sitting down amongst the light scattering of fallen leaves and leaning back against the bole of the tree looking up at the golden canopy above me. How anyone could want to live anywhere but the Golden wood is beyond me. My mind drifts back over the long years of my life and the many happy memories I have of growing up in the Golden wood chasing my brothers through the forest, racing up and down the ladders of the trees, firing countless arrows on the archery range, watching the bow-makers in awe as the take a piece of wood and craft it into the supple, strong bows we use to keep our borders safe. _'Kieana'_ a voice murmurs softly _'Kieana wake up'_ I frown and look around me to see who is addressing me but can't see anyone. _'Kieana'_ the voice says again and I feel someone gently tapping my shoulder. "Go 'way" I murmur and turn away from them and pulling the blankets tighter around me.

_'We have to go meet the Fellowship, they'll be here soon.' _the voice continues and finally my sleep addled brain recognizes the voice of my brother Haldir.

I groan softly to myself before slowly opening my eyes to look up at him from under my warm blanket. "But I was having such a good dream." I say with a slight groan.

"Sorry. Maybe you can return to it later. Right now we have to go and meet the Fellowship, Lady Galadriel has sent word that they will be here soon." he says.

"Ok I'm getting up." I say rubbing my eyes and pushing myself into a sitting position.

"We are setting out in half an hour. Be ready to leave in twenty minutes I have a few things to discuss before we leave." he says snapping into Marchwarden mode and making is way to the ladder leading out of my room. No special treatment because I am one of the few elleths or because I am his little sister, when we are on duty I am just another member of the border guard under his command for which I am grateful.

Twenty minutes later I am standing between Orophin and Rumil listening to Haldir explain how he wants to approach the fellowship. "We will wait in the trees near the edge of the forest over the Nimrodel and Silverlode and watch for their arrival. Then once they enter the woods we will drop down and surround to ensure that they are the nine who set out from Rivendell and not servants of the enemy trying to enter our realm by stealth. Once we have ensured they are who they say we will lead them to Caras Galadhon where they will spend the night before meeting with Lord Celeborn and Lady Galadriel in the morning. Are there any questions? He asks looking around at the twenty elves standing in front of him. "Ok lets move out." he says when no one speaks up.

We form two lines behind him and set off through the forest following the river Nimrodel to where it meets the Silverlode on the border of the forest. We come to a halt at the edge of the forest and Haldir splits us into groups of three and tells us to climb five trees that command the best view of the area. "Don't move from your positions till they enter the forest, then once they have passed the second line of trees jump down and surround them, draw your bows but only shoot if I give the signal to do so. Everyone clear?" he asks and we all nod. "Ok then climb your trees, stay out of sight and when they come into view keep quiet so as not to alert them to our presence."

We all climb up our trees and find comfortable branches to rest on while we wait for the nine companions to arrive, after a couple of hours in the trees I hear the sound of feet rustling in the grass some way off "They're coming." I call out softly to the other elves knowing they will hear me. Instantly we are all alert and watching intently for them to come into view. Just a few minutes later we can see a small group of people come into view, every elf lapses into silence as we watch their approach.

"Stay close young Hobbits, they say a great sorceress lives in these woods. An Elf-witch of terrible power, all who look upon her, fall under her spell." a deep gruff voice that is unmistakably that of a dwarf says.

The four Hobbits look around them nervously, drawing closer together and shooting nervous looks at the trees as if expecting to be assailed at any moment.

"Well here is one Dwarf she will not ensnare so easily! I have the eyes of a hawk and the hearing of a fox!" the Dwarf says boastfully.

At this pronouncement Haldir gives us the signal to drop from our trees and surround them. I drop to the ground landing on my feet and silently run the short distance to where the fellowship is drawing my bow and aiming it at the nearest member who just happens to be the dwarf who stops abruptly a look of surprise on his face. The others stop to as nineteen more bows are drawn on them and they realize they are surrounded. The elf Legolas draws his bow and aims it at Haldir with movements so quick I can barely see them. "And the dwarf breathes so loudly we could shoot him in the dark" Haldir says earning a grin from the rest of us and a growl from the Dwarf.

Haldir then lowers his bow and takes a step forward coming to stand in front of Legolas "Mae govannen, Legolas Thranduilion." he says with a smile.

"Mae govannen, Haldir O'Loreien" Legolas replies returning his smile. "Govannas vin gwennen le"

Haldir smiles at him again before moving to Aragorn.

"Aragorn in Dunedain istannen le ammen." he says.

"Haldir it is good to see you." Aragorn replies returning his smile.

"We had heard that you might be coming this way and the Lord and Lady sent us to welcome you to the Golden wood." he says turning to smile at the rest of the company gesturing for us to lower our bows as he does so. "Please come with us and we will lead you to a place where you can rest for the night."

I lower my bow and sling it over my back before turning and following Haldir as he leads the Fellowship further into the forest towards Caras Galadhon. I look to my left and find that I am walking alongside one of the Hobbits.

"Welcome to Lothlorien." I say with a smile.

"Thankyou." he says a little shyly.

"What is your name?" I ask.

"My name is Frodo. Frodo Baggins, and what is yours?" he asks.

"My name is Kieana, I hope we can be friends." I reply.

"I goth-e-goth nîn vellon nîn" he says.

"Istadhir peded edhllen?" I ask in surprise.

"Only a very little, but I would like to learn more, it is a beautiful language." he replies.

"You speak it very well mellon-nin. I will be happy to teach you more if we get a chance." I say.

"I would like that." he replies with a smile.

**A/N: Thanks for reading! Hope you liked chapter two! I will not usually be updating this quickly but I kinda got on a roll so I thought I would update! Please review and let me know what you think!**

_Translations _

_Mae govannen Legolas Thranduilion – Welcome Legolas son of Thranduil._

_Mae govannen Haldir o Lorien. – well met Haldir of Lorien _

_*Mae govannen has multiple meanings._

_Govannas vin gwennen le – Our company is in your debt._

_Aragorn in Dunedain istannen le ammen – Aragorn of the Dunedain you are known to us._

_I goth-e-goth nîn vellon nîn - The enemy of my enemy is my friend._

_Istadhir peded edhellen? - Can you speak Elvish?_


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three:

**A/N: Chapter three is up! **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Lord of The Rings, the world and its characters belong to Tolkien.**

"Eight there are here, yet nine set out from Rivendell, tell where is Gandalf? For I much desired to speak with him." Lord Celeborn says the following morning.

"Gandalf the grey did not pass the borders of this land, he has fallen into shadow." Lady Galadirel says looking around at the eight companions to see if any of them will confirm her suspicions.

"He was taken by both Shadow and Flame: A Balrog of Morgoth. For we went needlessly into the net of Moria." Legolas explains, his voice soft but easily heard by all in the clearing. The dwarf hangs his head and sighs sadly.

"Needless were none of the deeds of Gandalf in life, we do not yet know his whole purpose. Do not let the emptiness of Khazad-dum fill your heart Gimli son of Gloin. For the world has grown full of peril, and in all lands love is mixed with grief." Galadriel says and the dwarf looks up at her with a small smile.

"What now will come of the Fellowship? Without Gandalf, hope is lost." Celeborn says.

"The quest stands on the edge of a knife, stray but a little and it will fail to the ruin of all." Galadriel says. "But hope still remains while the company is true." she continues smiling at one of the hobbits.

"Go now and rest, while you remain within the borders of the Golden Wood you are safe for the enemy has never passed the borders of this land." Celeborn says dismissing us

I turn to escort the visitors back to their camp under the trees when I hear the voice of Galadriel "Kieana please stay a moment I wish to speak with you." she says.

I turn and walk towards her watching as my brothers lead the companions out of the clearing. Galadriel waits until they are all out of sight before turning to me with a smile. "Haldir tells me you fought bravely against the Orcs that crossed the Nimrodel two nights ago." she says.

"I was just doing my duty as a border guard of this realm my Lady." I say.

"I appreciate all that you and your brothers do to keep our home safe from those who would wish to destroy it." she says.

"It is my honour to protect the Golden Wood." I say.

"The news of Gandalf the Grey's passing is troubling." Galadriel says. "Nine were chosen to set out from Rivendell to match the number of Black Riders of the enemy, and nine I believe is the number that should set out from here upon the company's departure."

"Forgive me Lady Galadriel for I do not understand." I say.

"I believe your path lies with the Fellowship on their quest to destroy the ring of power." she says.

"You wish for me to join the Fellowship ere the set out to continue their journey to Mordor?" I ask.

"The choice is yours, you may remain here as border guard or join the Fellowship. But if you decide to join the quest I must warn you it will not be an easy road, and I cannot see what the outcome will be." she says.

"May I have some time to consider my decision?" I ask.

"Of course. Seek council from your brothers if you wish. You may go now, thank-you for your service to our realm." Galadriel says smiling at me.

I nod respectfully at them both before turning and walking out of the clearing making my way to the armoury and looking around for my brother. "Have you seen Captain Haldir?" I ask one of the elves who was with us in the clearing.

"He dismissed us after we escorted the Fellowship back to their camp, I believe he remained there to speak to Aragorn." the elf responds.

"Thank-you Edrym." I say smiling at him.

"Is there something I can help you with?" he asks returning my smile. "you look troubled, is everything ok?"

"I have a choice to make and am unsure what I should do." I say.

"Could I be of any assistance in your decision making process?"he asks.

"Maybe, I just need to talk to someone and discuss my options." I reply.

"Would you like to go somewhere and talk?" he asks.

"That would be good if you have the time." I say.

"I wouldn't have offered if I wasn't willing mellon-nin" he says.

"How about we go for a walk and find somewhere quiet to talk?" I ask leading the way out of the armoury and through the forest until we reach a secluded clearing a short distance from the armoury.

"So what's this big decision you have to make?" he asks once we're settled on a branch of a tree.

"Lady Galadriel said she believes my path could lie with the Fellowship on their quest to destroy the Ring. With Mithrandir gone there are only eight companions and she thinks that nine is a better number because it matches the nine ringwraiths of the enemy, and she thinks that I could be that ninth companion, but she said the choice is ultimately mine." I say.

"Are you leaning more one way or the other?" he asks.

"I don't know. I'm torn. On the one hand I have always wanted to travel and see more of the world. Visit different realms and see how the other races live or even how other Elves live. I've only ever lived here or in Imaldris, so going on the quest would allow me to see more of the world, but it wouldn't be dangerous and there's no guarantee I'll come back home safely. But then on the other hand I don't want to leave the Golden wood, I want to stay and defend my home and be with my family and friends." I say.

"What path do you think the Valar would want you to take?" he asks.

"I don't know. I think it would be good for me to go, I've always been surrounded by family and friends. So from that perspective going would be a good thing, but I know I would miss my brothers, and my friends and my home." I say.

"We would all understand, we have all felt the ever spreading darkness. It has not yet entered the Golden wood, but Mirkwood is infested with all manner of evil creatures from orcs to spiders, our kin there are constantly fighting to keep their realm safe. Their warriors are skilled in all aspects of combat and are taught to defend themselves from a young age, and many lands face the same peril. The Prince Legolas is said to be a highly skilled archer, maybe you can learn from him if you decide your path lies with the Fellowship." he says.

"You make some valid points, and I have indeed felt the darkness that spreads through the world. I think I need to speak to my brother before I make my decision." I say smiling at him in thanks.

"I would expect nothing less. Your brother is a great captain, he is well respected and loved among the guard. He is kind, loyal and fair. He listens to those who are of lower rank to him and treats all in his command as equals. I have learnt much from your brother, and his teachings have never lead me astray." he says.

"He's always been like that. Even as an elfling he was kind and fair. Rumil, Orophin and I would often get into arguments and childish bickering over who was better with the sword or with the bow or the twin blades and when we could not decide we would go to Haldir. Every time without fail he would tell us that we were all skilled and that he could not pick between us, so we would go and train harder." I say with a chuckle.

"..so I'd really appreciate your advice on how to decide what to do." I say about half an hour later. I have finally managed to locate my brothers and the four of us are sitting together in Orophins talan eating our lunch.

"The quest to destroy the Ring is a noble cause, one that will be fraught with peril." Haldir says. "However I fear that as the darkness of Mordor spreads no land will be safe from the wrath of the enemy, not even our fair Lothlorien."

"So should I stay here or should I go with the Fellowship?" I ask.

"That decision is yours and yours alone Kieana, I am not going to tell you what your decision should be" he says.

"But how am I supposed to make such a decision when there are so many pros and cons for each?" I ask allowing a hint of frustration to creep into my tone.

"We will surely miss you if you decide to go on the quest, but we will also be immensely proud of you, for it takes great courage to ride openly against an enemy that is so strong." Rumil says.

"And we would be equally proud if you decide your place is here among the border guard. Whatever decision you will have our unwavering support." Orophin says. "Mother and father would be proud of you too." he adds says.

"You really think so?" I ask.

"Of course. Why wouldn't they be? You are brave and loyal, willing to sacrifice yourself for the good of your people." Haldir says.

"You don't think they would be disappointed that I have not yet found a husband?" I ask. "Mother was married at my age."

"Of course not. Why would they be?" Haldir asks.

"I don't know, I'm am over two thousand years old and I have yet to even court an elf let alone receive a proposal of marriage. Many elleths are married long before they reach my age." I say.

"They want you to be happy. You will find the one you are destined to spend eternity with when the Valar see fit whether that be tomorrow or a thousand years from now you are not a disappointment to our parents, and you never will be." Rumil says.

I fire arrow after arrow at the target, always missing the bulls –eye by just a few inches. It has always been the way no matter how much I practice I can never quite get the arrow to fly exactly as I want it to. Sighing in frustration I lower my bow and place it on the ground before making my way over to the target to retrieve my arrows and start the whole process again, not that I am hopeful of any improvement, after all I have been practicing archery all my life and have never been as adept at it as my brothers. As I return the last arrow to the quiver on my back and return to my bow I once again vow to myself that I will master the weapon.

I pick up my bow and raise it to the point at the target before reaching back to grab an arrow and attach it to the string. I pull back and listen to the familiar twang as I release the tension and watch the arrow sail smoothly through the air landing with a dull thud in the target just outside the bulls-eye. "Why can I never hit the middle of the target?" I grumble, knowing I am alone and will not get an answer. I sigh and nock another arrow raising my bow to the target once more.

"You are over-thinking it." a voice says startling me and causing me let go of the arrow which flys totally off course and embeds itself in a target on at the far end of the range. "Forgive me, I did not mean to startle you." the voice says and the tall blonde Prince of Mirkwood comes to stand beside me.

"No harm done my Lord, had I been paying more attention to my surroundings I would have heard you arrive." I say bowing my head respectfully.

"Call me Legolas." he says smiling at me and causing my heart to involuntarily skip a beat, his whole face lights up when he smiles.

"W-what were you saying about over-thinking?" I ask nervously hoping he didn't notice the way I was staring at him.

"When you are preparing to fire the arrow, you are over-thinking, if you relax a little your aim will be more true." he says. "I have seen it countless times, warriors over-thinking their technique and inadvertently causing their arm to tense sending the arrow just off the desired trajectory."

"And how would you suggest I correct that?" I ask curious to know if the techniques of the Mirkwood archers differ from our own.

"May I?" he asks gesturing to my bow which is resting on the ground at my feet.

"Be my guest." I reply.

"Thankyou." he says picking it up and taking an arrow from my quiver. "This is a beautiful weapon, I have always admired the bows of the Galadhrim." he comments almost to himself.

"They are different from the bows of Mirkwood?" I ask.

"Yes, your bows are longer and stouter than the bows of Mirkwood." he explains before raising it and taking aim at the target in front of him. He releases the arrow and it flies smoothly through the air landing in the direct centre of the target.

"How can you do that with a strange bow?" I ask marvelling at his skill, I had heard the archers of Mirkwood are highly skilled but hearing and seeing are two different things.

"It's all in the way you hold your bow." he says. "Hold it to rigid or too loose and your aim will be effected."

"That doesn't really help." I mutter before I can stop myself.

He chuckles and hands the bow back to me. "Hold it the way you would if were going to shoot." he says, and I do so raising the bow and aiming it at the target. "Your stance is good, and the way you hold the bow but you need to relax your arm a little there is too much tension in it."

"Is this better?" I ask relaxing my arm a little.

"A little." he says "now nock an arrow and fire it at the target." he says. I do so and the arrow once again lands just outside the bulls-eye. "May I ?" he asks and I nod my consent, he comes to stand behind me reaching around me and placing his hand on my arm as it holds the bow "relax your arm and bend it slightly at he elbow." he says running his hand up my arm and applying gentle pressure to my elbow until it is bent ever so slightly "Like that."

I nod trying to ignore the heat that is radiating from where his hand touched my arm even through my clothing. I pull an arrow from the quiver and attach it to the string ignoring the butterflies that have started fluttering in my stomach. "What next?" I ask.

"Draw the string back in one fluid motion, and hold it for a beat before releasing the arrow." he says his hand covering mine where it holds the arrow in place. "and then release the tension." he adds softly letting go of my hand.

I release the arrow and if flies through the air landing in the dead centre of the target. I let out an involuntary gasp of happiness my eyes shining in excitement.

"Very good, now try it again on your own this time." Legolas says smiling encouragingly at me.

I take a deep breath and nock another arrow being careful to follow the instructions he gave me and to my delight the second arrow flies through the air to join the first in the centre of the target. My smile widens and I can't help but fire another arrow, and another after that both of them also hitting the bulls-eye. Before I can stop myself I lower my bow and turn to Legolas eyes shining and throw my arms around him in a hug "Thank-you. You have no idea how long I have wanted to be able to do that." I say then realizing that I am hugging him I hastily pull away. Blushing furiously I snatch up my bow and run from the archery range embarrassed.

**A/N: Thanks for reading Hope you enjoyed the chapter, please leave a review and let me know what you think! And feel free to follow/ fav or PM me if you wish! I love talking to new people!**


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four:

**Disclaimer: I do not own The Lord Of The Rings, its characters or its places they all belong to J.R.R. Tolkien.**

**A/N: Here's chapter four! Hope you like it, thanks for reading!**

LEGOLAS'S POV

"Where have you been lad we were just about to send out a search party to look for you." Gimli says as I make my way into the clearing where our camp is set up.

"Just exploring the woods, nothing special." I reply.

"You've been gone for hours, you can't tell me you've spent all that time wondering through the forest." the dwarf says.

"What do the trees say?" Aragorn asks.

"They say they grow uneasy with the darkness that is slowly spreading across the land, and they are sad that the elves are leaving." I reply.

"What do you mean? Trees can't talk. I'm a gardener I'd know if trees could talk." Sam says.

"My kin have been communicating with the trees ever since Elves first came to this land and taught the Onodrim to speak." I say.

"What's Onodrim?" Pippin asks.

"It's the Elvish word for Ents, the tree hosts." Aragorn says.

"And these...ents, they can talk? Like we are now?" Sam asks.

"They tend to keep to themselves not wanting to get mixed up in the wars of Elves and Men. They take care of their forests and despise those who seek to destroy them." I say. "But yes they can talk as we are now."

"Have you ever spoken to one?"Sam asks.

"I have not had the honour, but I speak to the trees of my home often and listen to their voices for they are wise and offer good council if only you take the time to listen." I say.

"Are they talking now?" Pippin asks.

"They are always communicating with each other." I respond.

"What do they say?" Merry asks.

"They say if I tell you their secrets they will have to strangle you with their roots while you sleep." I say trying to hide my amusement at the looks of horror that come across the Hobbits faces. Gimli also looks a little wary, his hand fingering his axe as if readying himself for an attack.

"Can they do that?" Sam asks glancing nervously at the trees surrounding us.

"If the mood takes them." I say exchanging a look with Aragorn who is trying his hardest not to laugh.

"Aa-and d-do they want to do that?" Pippin asks.

"No. They know you mean them no harm. They know we are here with the consent of the Lord and Lady they will not harm you." I say.

"I suppose you think that's funny do you laddie?" Gimli asks. "telling us the trees are plotting our demise."

"It's a little funny yes." I reply. "Had you seen the looks on your faces I am sure you would have agreed with me."

"So they won't strangle us in our sleep?" Sam asks.

"No Sam they will do you know harm." Aragorn says. "Legolas was just having a little fun."

KIEANA'S POV

"Haldir! Haldir! I have to show you something." I say excitedly bursting into his office next to the armoury.

"Usually I prefer if you knock before you enter my office, what if I had been in a meeting?" Haldir says.

"I know sorry, I just really have to show you something and I knew you didn't have any meetings today so I thought I'd risk it." I say.

"What's got you so excited?" he asks looking at me over the papers he's been filling out.

"If you come to the archery range I'll show you. Do you know where Rumil and Orophin are? I want to show them as well." I say.

"They're in the armoury. Are you going to give me a hint as to what it is that you have to show us?" he asks.

"No, I'm not, you can just wait till we get there." I say.

"Have you come to a decision on Lady Galadriels proposal?" he asks.

"I think so, but I want to tell you all together so can we just go find the other two? Then I promise all will be revealed." I say.

"Ok just answer me this. Does what you want to show us have anything to do with your decision about the quest to destroy the ring?" he asks.

"No. Now stop asking questions and lets go find Rumil and Orophin so I can show you what I want to show you." I say.

"Bossy aren't you?" he comments with a grin.

"I learnt from the best." I say poking my tongue out at him and linking my arm through his as we make our way out into to the forest in the direction in search of our brothers.

"What did you learn from the best?" Rumil's voice asks just before he drops from a tree lands a few feet ahead of us.

"Didn't anyone ever tell you it's rude to eavesdrop brother?"Orophin's voice asks as he drops down beside him.

"Have you two been following us?" I ask narrowing my eyes at my brothers.

"No, we were running through the tree tops watching the birds and we heard your voices so we thought we'd come down and join you." Orophin says.

"So what did you learn from the best?" Rumil asks.

"How to be bossy. I learnt everything I know on that topic from Haldir." I say.

"What are you being bossy about?" Rumil asks.

"She came barrelling into my office at break-neck speed, breathless with excitement and demanded that I drop everything and accompany her so she can show me something." Haldir says.

"I didn't say drop everything!" I protest. "And I was hardly running at break-neck speed."

"The door bounced back off the wall when you opened it." Haldir comments with a grin.

"Yeah yeah ok you can tease me later. Right now I need you all to move your buts so I can show you what I want to show you." I say.

"What do you want to show us?" Orophin asks.

"Follow me and find out." I say poking my tongue out at them before turning around and dashing off into the forest "you have to catch me if you want to see what I have to show you." I call over my shoulder.

"Where are you leading us?" Haldir calls as the three of them run after me.

"You'll find out when we get there." I say.

"Not even a hint?" he asks.

"Yeah here's one. If you stop using oxygen to talk you'll be able to run faster and we'll reach our destination quicker." I respond.

"I don't think that's actually true." he says.

"Perhaps not, but the end result is the same regardless. I'm not giving you a hint, or telling you where I am leading you." I say.

"Ok just lead on then." he says.

"I will, just make sure you keep up." I say. A few minutes later we reach the archery range and we come to a halt. "Ok here we are."

"You want to show us the archery range?"Orophin asks. "Sorry to break it to you Kieana but uhh we have in fact seen it before. Multiple times in fact."

Not bothering to answer his question I reach for my bow, nock an arrow and fire it at the nearest target. I hold my breath as the arrow saws through the air and lands in the centre of the target. "So what do you think?" I ask biting my lip as I turn to look at my brothers who are standing in a row a few feet behind me.

**A/N: Thanks for reading guys! Please leave a review and let me know what you think! As always feel free to fav/follow and PM me if you have any questions.**


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter Five:

**A/N: Here's Chapter five! Hope you like it. Thanks for the reviews, they are much appreciated!**

Kieanas POV

"So? What do you think?" I ask again looking down at my feet nervously.

"That's great!" Haldir says pulling me into a hug "you must be so excited! You've been training to be able to hit the bull for years."

"How did you do it, have you just been training really hard or did you have some assistance?" Rumil asks.

"I always train hard you know that, but yes I have been focusing on my archery a little more lately. It's my weakest discipline, so naturally I'd work more on it than other aspects of my training." I say.

"So no help?" Orophin asks.

"I may have had a little help." I mutter.

"Oh yeah? From whom ? Anyone we know?" Rumil asks.

"Price Legolas" I mumble.

"Can you repeat that?" Orophin asks with a grin.

"Prince Legolas." I say again although I am almost certain he heard me the first time.

"So you and the Prince huh? And how may I ask did he help you?" Orophin asks.

"He was walking in the forest, came across the range, saw me practising and offered me some pointers." I say. "Anyway I think I've decided what course of action to take regarding Lady Galadriel's suggestion." I add changing the subject.

"What have you decided?" Haldir asks.

"I think I'm going to go with the Fellowship. I just think it's the right choice for me. I know it'll be dangerous but I really think joining the quest to destroy the Ring is the path the Valar want me to take." I say.

"So it has nothing to do with a certain elf Prince who just happens to be part of the Fellowship?" Rumil asks

"No it has to do with me wanting to represent Lothlorien in the quest to rid the world of the ever spreading darkness." I say.

"So if I were to inform you that I invited him to join us for our evening meal and that he accepted, that would have no effect on you?" Orophin asks.

"Not at all. Why would it?" I ask.

"No reason." he says with a shrug.

"Well I have to go and inform Lady Galdriel and Lord Celeborn of my decision. See you later." I say.

"Will you be joining us for tonight?" Haldir asks.

"I don't know. I have to talk to Aragorn about when we're leaving so it depends on how long that takes, but I'll definitely come if I can. Where are you going to eat?" I ask.

"One of the talans on east of the city. You know the ones we use for festivals and parties? I'll leave the details in your talan once they're finalized." Haldir says.

"I will definitely be there if I can."I say hugging each of them before heading off to Lady Galadriels clearing.

"Kieana, please join us." Galadriel says the moment I reach the edge of her clearing.

"I hope I am not interrupting anything." I say walking into the clearing and seeing Frodo standing by the mirror.

"Not at all child. Frodo and I were just having chat." she replies with a smile.

"Thank-you my Lady."I bowing my head respectfully to her. "It is good to see you again Frodo." I add smiling at the hobbit.

"It is good to see you too Kieana." Frodo replies returning my smile. "Well I should get back to my companions."

"Do you need a guide to lead you back to your camp?" Galadriel asks.

"If you can spare one my Lady." Frodo responds.

"Edrym, please escort Frodo back to his companions. After that you may retire for the evening." Galadriel says.

"Of course my Lady" Edrym says emerging from the trees and coming to a stop in front of Frodo. "This way Mr Baggins." he adds.

"Will I see you for patrol in the morning?" I ask as he passes me followed closely by Frodo.

"I will be there." Edyrm says coming to a stop in front of me.

"I shall see you then." I say "try and get some rest, you look like you need it." I add with a smile.

"You are perceptive as always Kieana. See you in the morning." he says smiling at me and continuing on his way out of the clearing.

"Have you come to a decision?" Galadriel asks.

"I'll believe my path lies with the Fellowship on the quest to destroy the Ring." I say.

"Do not make the decision lightly child, the quest will not be easy and there is no guarantee of your safety." she says.

"I have not made the decision lightly. But I believe it is the will of the Valar that I go on the quest wherever it may lead." I say.

"What do your brothers think of your decision?" Celeborn asks.

"They support my decision. They will worry for my safety and I for theirs, but if I can assist Frodo in his quest then I will gladly do all that is in my power to help him accomplish his goal." I say.

"You are a loyal, brave warrior and your steadfast defence of this land are much appreciated." Galadriel says.

"Your father was a dear friend of mine while he still lived here, I have many fond memories of our time together. I know he would be immensely proud of who you have become. As would your mother"

"T-thank-you" I say choking back tears. "I miss them so much."

"When the time comes for you to sail to Valinor you will be reunited with them." Galadriel says.

"That future is not certain." I say.

"The future is never certain. Even the smallest action can change the course of the future." she says. "The Fellowship will be staying a few more days with us before they set out. I believe your brothers are hosting Prince Legolas for dinner, you may go and join them if you wish."

"Do you know where I might find Aragorn? I want to speak to him about joining the Fellowship." I say.

"He should be with the other companions at their camp, they spend most of their time together." Celeborn says.

"Thank-you." I say smiling at them bowing my head before turning and leaving the clearing.

A few minutes later I walk into the Fellowships camp and scan the area for Aragorn.

"Are you looking for someone?" a gruff voice asks and I look down to see the dwarf standing in front of me looking suspicious.

"Yes, I would like to speak to Aragorn do you know where he is?" I ask.

"Why do you want to talk to him?" the dwarf asks.

"That is between him and I." I say trying to hide my annoyance.

"Who exactly are you?" he asks the distrust in his voice evident.

"My name is Kieana, I was among the guards who brought you into Caras Galadhon. My brother Haldir is the marchwarden." I reply. "You are Gimli son of Gloin correct?"

"What do you know of my family?"he asks.

"Only that you are the son of Gloin who was one of the companions of Thorin Oakenshield on his quest to reclaim Moria" I say.

"Aragorn is getting wood for the fire, he should be back soon." Gimli says fingering his axe and walking away.

"Thanks." I call after him and he raises a hand in acknowledgement not bothering to turn around. He comes to a halt by the fire where he sits down and begins preparing what I am assuming will be their evening meal.

"You're one of the guards that escorted us from the edge of the forest." a voice says and I look around for its owner. A hobbit is standing a few feet from me, arms crossed and a look of mingled fear and wonder on his face.

"I am Kieana." I say smiling softly at him.

"I did not know the elves allowed their women to fight." he says.

"We are all taught to defend ourselves from a young age, for even those who cannot fight are at risk when war breaks out." I explain.

"Do many of your women fight?" he asks.

"There are some a few of us who defend the border, however many elleths prefer to study the arts of healing and the making of clothes." I say.

"But not you my lady?" he asks.'

"Nay, I have always preferred swords and arrows to herbs and needles." I say with a smile. "I have three older brothers, and we would spend much of our as elflings sparring and practicing with our bows and arrows."

"Were your brothers with the group that brought us here?" the hobbit asks.

"Yes, my oldest brother Haldir is the marchwarden. He is the one who spoke with Aragorn and Prince Legolas." I explain. "Rumil and Orophin where there also, but they were behind you so you may not have seen them."

"Haldir and Legolas seemed to know each other, have they met before?" he asks.

"A few times. Forgive me Master Hobbit but I cannot recall your name." I say.

"I'm Samwise Gamgee, but mostly I am known as Sam." he replies a slight blush colouring his cheeks at being called 'master'.

"It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance Sam. I hope that you are finding your stay here relaxing." I say.

"The tree's are beautiful, we don't have any trees like this in the Shire." he says reaching out and patting a nearby trunk fondly.

"I sense that you enjoy tending gardens and all things that grow in the ground is that correct?" I ask.

"I was a gardener before we set out on this journey. I tended the garden for Mr Frodo and for Mr Bilbo before him." he says.

"I would very much like to see your garden one day." I say causing him to blush a brighter shade of red.

"I should go and help Gimli with supper." he says bowing to me and hastily retreating to the fire side where the dwarf has been joined by the other hobbits and Boromir.

"Kieana what brings you here? I thought you would be with your brothers." Aragorns voice says from behind me and I whip around to find him standing a few feet away his arms full of wood.

"I shall be joining them soon. But I was hoping we could speak, is now a good time or would you prefer I come back later?" I ask.

"Now is as good a time as any. Just let me set this wood down and we can go somewhere and talk." he says.

"Ok."I reply and watch as he makes his way to the campfire, depositing the wood and exchanging a few words with his companions before returning to me.

"What is it you wanted to discuss?" he asks looking at me expectantly.

"I would like to join the Fellowship in the quest to destroy the Ring ere you set out from Lothlorien. I have discussed my intentions with Lord Celeborn and Lady Galadriel and they approve. I also have the blessing of my brothers, so I would like to know if you would have me join you." I say.

"The journey will not be easy." Aragorn says.

"I know, but I believe the Valar wish for me to join the quest." I say.

"Well who am I to question the will of the Valar?" he asks with a small smile.

"So you will allow me to join the company?" I ask.

"Yes you can join the company. Having two skilled elven warriors will definitely aid our cause." he says.

"Thank-you. I shall let you return to your companions now." I say bowing to him and walking out of the clearing.

**A/N: Thanks for reading! Please review, follow, fav! And feel free to PM me at any time!**

**Next chapter the siblings and Legolas will have their dinner, and maybe drink some Elvish wine...also a certain set of twins might make an appearance! Should be up in a few days!**


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter Six

**Disclaimer: I do not own The Lord Of The Rings or any of its characters or places.**

**A/N: Chapter six is here! Thanks for the reviews!**

Legolas' POV

I walk through the forest looking for the tree Haldir described to me earlier when he invited me to join him and his brothers for a meal. It is so good to be in the forest again, even if it is different from my home in Mirkwood. The trees of Lothlorien whisper to me making me feel more at home than I have since setting out from Imaldris. I reach out and stroke the bark of the nearest Mallorn '_welcome Prince of Greenwood' _it whispers. I smile to myself and continue waking through the trees looking for the one the holds the talan where I will be meeting Haldir, Rumil and Orophin.

A few minutes later I spot the tree and am about to begin climbing it when I feel a knife being held to my throat. "What's this? A Mirkwood elf caught off his guard?" a familiar voice says.

"I think Thranduil would be highly disappointed don't you? His own son caught off guard. Very poor form." a second voice muses.

Grinning slightly to myself I quickly duck my head being careful to avoid the knife, run up a few rungs of the ladder and launch myself off backwards flipping in mid air and coming to land behind the two elves drawing my bow as I do so. "Elves of Mirkwood are never caught off their guard." I say nocking an arrow and aiming it at the elf holding the knife. "I would drop that if I was you."

"Show off." he says poking his tongue out at me but returning the knife to its sheath all the same.

"It is good to see you Mellon! You were in Imaldris so short a time we never had the chance to say hello." the second elf says.

"Yes I was there to bring news of Gollums escape to your father. Then he summoned me to the Council and now here I am." I say smiling at him and his brother.

"Your news caused quite a stir especially among the dwarves or so I have heard." Elladan says returning my smile.

"Yes, they were a little upset, but Lord Elrond managed to restore order easily enough." I say.

"So have you been invited to this little dinner party of Haldir's or are you gate-crashing again?" Elrohir asks.

"That happened one time! And if I recall correctly you were the one who told me I could attend." I protest.

"I will never forget the look on fathers face when you fell out of that tree and landed on the table in front of the delegation from Lake-town." Elladon chortles.

"Yeah well at least they saw the funny side of it." I say a slight blush colouring my cheeks, my father had some very stern words for me on my return to Mirkwood upon hearing of that incident.

"Oh look at that Elladan we made him blush." Elrohir says and he and his brother roar with laughter.

"You know my father never did find out who it was that replaced his favourite wine with water at Tarnin Austa a few years ago. Maybe it is time I informed him of who was responsible." I say.

"You wouldn't" Elladan say his face paling and eyes snapping to me.

"No, but you should see the look on your face mellon." I say chuckling at the look of horror that is slowly receding from his features.

"Your father scares me. I would not want to be on the receiving end of his wrath." he says and his brother nods in agreement.

"He's not so bad, not half as bad as everyone makes him out to be." I say a slight edge creeping into my voice. My father and I may not always agree but that does not mean I am happy that people assume he is cold hearted and cruel.

"Maybe not to his son, but to others he can be quite harsh."Elrohir says quietly.

"He had the rule of Greenwood thrust upon before his time when my grandfather was slain during battle of the Last Alliance. My mother was killed in Gundabad and for many years we have fought the darkness that has spread through our home poisoning the forest. I think he has a right to be protective of his lands and his people do you not?" I say.

"We did not know your mother was killed." Elladan says softly after a few moments of uncomfortable silence.

"Yes well we do not often speak of it." I say sadly "my father has not been the same since."

"I am sorry, we thought your mother had sailed to Valinor as ours did." Elrohir says.

"I wish it was so." I say wiping away a tear that has leaked from the corner of my eye.

"So shall we climb up and get this party started?" Elladan asks sounding a little uncertain.

"Yes, it is rude to keep the host waiting." I say pushing the memory of my mother to the back of my mind and forcing myself to smile.

"Race you too the top!" Elrohir says in an attempt to lighten the mood.

"You're on." I say a genuine smile replacing the forced one.

"On the count of three?" Elladan asks.

"Yep." I say.

"Okay...one...two...three!" we say in unison and instantly take off.

While the twins instantly go for the ladder I run to a neighbouring tree, jumping and catching hold of a low branch before swinging myself up onto it. I then proceed to jump from branch to branch until I spot the talan in the next tree. I run lightly to the edge of the branch I am standing on and leap the short distance to the talan landing silently and running to the opening just as the dark hair of the twins appears. "What took you so long?" I ask with a grin as the pull themselves through the hole.

"Where did you come from?" Elrohir asks.

"I climbed the next tree and jumped from that branch." I say pointing to the branch I was moments ago.

"You two should have known better than to challenge a wood-elf to a tree climbing race." Orophin says coming over to the three of us grinning broadly. "He didn't leave the ground till you were halfway up the ladder and still he beat you."

"Well I'd like to see you do better." Elrohir retorts in mock annoyance.

"Ahh you see that is where we differ young Elrohir. You see I would not challenge an elf of Greenwood to a tree-climbing race for I know that I am no match for them." Orophin says.

"But you live in the woods too, and you are older then Legolas." Elladan says.

"Yes. But Lothlorien has not faced the dangers that plague our kin in Greenwood." Haldir says wisely coming to join or little group with Rumil in tow.

"At home we have often had take refuge in the trees when a particularly large band of orcs or spiders cross our path unexpectedly. If we are too few to safely dispatch them we hide in the trees and wait for them to pass." I say softly.

"How is the battle going Legolas? Are you still managing to keep the darkness a bay?" Rumil asks.

"For now yes, but I fear it is only a matter of time before it spreads over all the free lands of Adar." I say. "The trees are growing wary, and are less open to communication."

"That must be troubling." Haldir says.

"It is. The trees within our area of the forest are as yet un-effected by the darkness that infests the rest of it, but it is growing ever closer. We can only keep it at bay for so long before it infects our kingdom as well." I say.

"Well let's make tonight a night to remember the happier times in our lives and forget for a while the peril that threatens to overwhelm us." Haldir says.

"I would like that." I say smiling at him.

"Will anyone else be joining us? Where is Kieana? I have not seen her for a few decades now , is she well?" Elrohir asks.

"She is very well, she has to speak to the Lord and Lady but she is hoping to join us after that." Orophin says.

"That is well for I had hoped to visit with her while I am here." Elladan says.

"She will be here soon I am sure." Rumil says.

"How are your father and Arwen?" Haldir asks.

"Father is trying to convince Arwen to sail, but she is adamant that she wants to stay for Aragorn." Elrohir say.

"Sounds like Arwen. She never was one to be told what to do." I say. "Do you think she'll go?"

"If father gets his way then yes. But if Arwen gets hers then no, it's anyone's guess who will back down first." Elrohir says.

"How much longer are you staying in Lorien?" Haldir asks.

"We were just discussing that last night and Aragorn wants to stay for a few more days. So we'll probably set out sometime next week." I say.

"So we're stuck with you a few more days yet?" Rumil asks.

"I'm afraid so." I reply. "I hope that's not too much of an inconvenience for you."

"Well it is, but I'm sure I can manage. I am exceptionally patient after all." he says.

"If that is the way you speak to a guest in our home then I think your hosting skills leave a lot to be desired." a new voice says and we all turn to welcome the final member of or dinner party.

"Kieana! You're here!" Elrohir say standing up and pulling her into a hug.

"Yep the party can officially start." she says hugging him back briefly before pulling away and smiling around at us all. "Elladan, it's so good to see you it's been far too long! I only wish your sister could have joined you."

"She wanted to come but she is needed in Imaldris." Elladan says.

"Well I hope you had a pleasant journey." she says.

"It was un-eventful so I guess that's good." Elladan says.

"So the two of you didn't spend the entire trip pulling pranks on each other and turning everything into a competition?" she asks.

"Nope we just rode straight here, we left a day later than anticipated so we had to ride fast to get here on time." Elrohir says.

"They did race Legolas up the tree though so that sort of made up for it." Rumil says.

"Who won?" she asks.

"Legolas, by quite a lot and he did it by climbing the tree instead of the ladder." Orophin says.

"He had an unfair advantage." Elladan says.

"And what might that be?" I ask amusedly.

"You're a wood-elf." Elrohir says simply.

"And yet knowing that you challenged me to a race?" I ask.

"We thought you'd play fair." Elrohir says.

"Oh right because forgoing the ladder and climbing up the tree instead is really putting you at a disadvantage." I say.

"Well it does. You've spent your life climbing trees in Mirkwood meaning you've had more chance to practice than we have." Elladan says.

"Yes but the trees in Mirkwood are vastly different to the ones here and the two of you have spent considerably more time here than I have so one could argue that you are the ones with the advantage and not I." I say.

"We might have spent more time here than you have, but unlike you wood-elves we don't tend to run up and down trees all the time. We have more important things to do than play in the trees you see." Elrohir says.

"Oh yes because replacing your fathers horse with an unbroken stallion, swapping Arwens dress for one three sizes to small so that she thinks she's put on weight, hiding Aragorns sword so that he thinks he's lost it and forging a letter from your father allowing you to wonder beyond the borders of of Imaldris before coming of age are terribly important pastimes indeed." I say.

"You're one to talk, I seem to recall a certain blonde elfling stealing wine from his father's private cellar on the night of his coming of age and proceeding to drink the entire bottle by himself." Elladan says.

"You three are so immature it's a wonder we put up with you." Orophin says shaking his head at us.

"We're immature? Excuse me Mellon but did you just call us immature?" I ask.

"Why yes Legolas yes I did." Orophin replies. "Racing up trees, bickering like elflings you really are quite immature."

"Did you hear that brother? Orophin believes we bicker like elflings." Elrohir says.

"Yes I did hear that. How would you suggest we retaliate to such slights on our character?" Elladan asks.

"Perhaps we should tie them up and only release them when they take back their very hurtful words." I suggest.

"In order to tie us up you would first have to overpower us." Rumil says.

"Shouldn't be too hard." Elladan says with a shrug of his shoulders.

"I'd like to see you try." Orophin says.

"Well then today is your lucky day. Because it just so happens that I have in my possession a length of rope that I believe will be the perfect size with which to bind your hands and feet." Elrohir says.

"Come on then child stop talking about what you're going to do and just do it. Honestly it's a wonder you get anything done if you talk about it for so long." Rumil says.

The twins and I exchange a glance, silently agreeing on a plan of action before launching ourselves at Rumil and Orophin. Elladan tackles Rumil, while his brother goes for Orophin leaving me in charge of the rope, which is lying on the floor near were Elrohir was sitting just minutes before. Reaching out I snatch it up and run lightly over to the twins and am about to start binding Rumil and Orophins hands when Kieanas' voice interrupts our little scuffle.

**A/N: Thanks for reading! Hope you liked the chapter, please leave a review and let me know what you think! And fav/follow if you like the story.**


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter Seven

**Disclaimer: I do not own The Lord Of The Rings or any of its characters or places.**

**A/N:Chapter Seven is here! Hope you like it, thanks for reading and please please please leave a quick review!**

Kieana's POV.

"Who wants some wine?" I ask in an attempt to put an end to the scuffle taking place on the other side of the table, fearing that someone will end up falling out of the tree and not particularly wanting to explain to either Lord Elrond or King Thranduil that their sons fell out of a tree and are unable to walk.

Upon hearing the word wine the five elves pause in their scuffle the twins and Legolas still keeping hold of my brothers. "Call it even?" Elrohir asks.

"Sure." Orophin says.

"Great." Elladan says releasing Rumil at the same moment as Elrohir releases Orophin. Legolas rises to his feet and winds the rope back up handing it to Elrohir before all five of them return to their seats.

"So can I take this to mean that you would like some wine?" I ask.

"Wine would be great thanks." Elladan says smiling warmly at me.

"Red or white?" I ask.

"Red for me please." Elrohir answers.

"And me too." his twin agrees.

"So that's red for the twins and Haldir, and white for Rumil and Orophin."I say getting up pouring four glasses of wine and handing them round. "And what can I get for you Prince Legolas?" I ask.

"White for me please, and call me Legolas there's no need for titles among friends." he replies flashing me a smile that makes my heart skip a beat.

"C-coming right up." I say turning to the drinks table, pouring him a glass of wine and handing it too him.

"Thank-you." he says taking the glass from me his hand brushing mine as he does so, and just as it did at the archery range heat spreads up my arm from where hands came into contact.

I hastily turn away from him trying to hide the blush rising in my cheeks. "So umm what are we eating tonight?" I ask.

"Fish freshly caught this afternoon and vegetables grown right here in the Lothlorien." Rumil says.

"And then for dessert we have a wild berry and cream tart topped with spun sugar and slivered almonds." Haldir adds.

"Sounds delicious." Elladan says.

"Please tell me you three had nothing to do with the cooking of the meal. Because if you did I am afraid I will have to respectfully refrain from consuming any of it." Legolas says earning himself three identical glares from my brothers.

"We can cook!" Haldir protests.

"Really? Because unless I am mistaken I believe that last time the three of you attempted to cook you started a fire in the palace kitchens." Legolas says with a grin.

"That wasn't our fault, the ceiling is too close to the stove." Rumil protests.

"You were cooking marshmallows on toasting forks in the fire on the opposite side of the kitchen to the stove. If Gaeron hadn't been there you could have burnt the whole kitchen down instead of just the kitchen counter." Legolas says.

"You three burnt the kitchen counter? Why have I never been informed of this! How long ago was it!" I ask.

"It must be about a century ago now if memory serves." Legolas says.

"I can't believe you three never told me about this! All those times I've asked you if anything interesting happened in Mirkwood and you fail to mention that you almost set fire to the palace kitchen." I say

"We didn't think it was worth mentioning." Orophin says.

"You knew I'd never let you live it down more like. So are there any other incidents you want to inform me of?" I ask narrowing my eyes and looking around at them all.

"Nope not at all, that's the only one. No other incidents at all none at all! Not one." Rumil says.

"There are plenty more of them. Your brothers are bigger pranksters than we are."Elrohir says.

"Really? Would you like to share some of those stories with me?" I ask.

"No they wouldn't. Not at all." Haldir says.

"I was asking the twins." I say poking my tongue out at him.

"There really is nothing to tell." Rumil says.

"Ok fine, there's nothing to tell." I say. "So what do you think of the Golden wood Legolas?" I ask.

"It's beautiful here, the trees are full of memory and wisdom. I have learnt much from them since we arrived." Legolas says.

"Is it much different from Mirkwood?" I ask.

"Yes and no. I feel more at home here than I have since setting out from Mirkwood. I miss conversing with the trees and walking through the forest listening to their voices." he explains.

"What's it like living there? Is it just constant fighting against spiders and orcs all the time?" I ask.

"Not at all, we usually only have one or two attacks a week the rest of the time is just general patrol of the borders, training and for me mountains of paperwork." he says.

"Do you ever get to just I don't have fun?" I ask.

"Of course we get to have fun. We have feasts, and festivals throughout the year not to mention coming of age ceremonies which occur every month." he says.

"What's it like being a Prince?" I ask.

"Well I don't really know what it's like not to be a Prince, but like everything it has its good and bad points. As a member of the Royal family everyone in the realm knows who I am so even if I'm meeting someone for the first time they have this pre-conceived idea of what I'm going to be like so that can be frustrating. But I have had the opportunity to meet some great people that I might never have met had I not been a Prince, and I have learned a lot about myself through my responsibilities so all in all the good outweighs the bad." he says.

"Are you and your parents close?" I ask.

"My father and I are very close, we don't always see eye to eye and on some matters our opinions differ greatly but I love him very much and would do anything in my power to protect him." he says.

"What about your mother?" I ask.

"She is no longer with us." he says so quietly I can barely hear it.

"She sailed to Valinor?" I ask.

"Nay, she was slain in battle at Gundabad." he says.

"I'm sorry." I say unable keep the look of shock from my face at his words.

"It happened a long time ago." he says sadly. "We do not speak of it my father and I."

"So how's life in Lothlorien? Is there anything exciting coming up that we should stick around for?" Elladan asks changing the subject for which I am grateful. I cannot even begin to imagine the pain Legolas and is father have had to endure since the loss of one so close to them.

"Life here is good, we are for the moment able to keep the darkness from crossing our borders." Haldir says. "And as for the latter part of your question, I believe Kieana should be the one to answer that."

The sound of my name brings me abruptly back to the present and I look around to see six pairs of eyes on me. "Umm I'm sorry I didn't quite catch that could you repeat it please?" I ask a slight blush colouring my cheeks.

"Elladan asked if there is anything exciting coming up in Lothlorien, and I suggested that you may be the best person to answer that question." Haldir says.

"Why would I be the best person to answer that question?" I ask.

"Because of your future plans." Haldir says.

"Oh right. Well I guess this is as good a time as any to announce my plans. I'm joining the fellowship on the journey to Mordor to destroy the Ring."I say.

"Wow, joining the Fellowship huh? What brought on this decision?" Elrohir asks.

"Your grandmother actually." I say.

"Galadriel told you to go on the quest?" Elladan asks.

"No, she asked me to stay behind for a chat after we brought the Fellowship before her and Lord Celeborn, so I stayed and she told me that she had foreseen that eight companions should accompany the ring bearer on his quest to destroy the ring. Nine to match the nine ring-wraiths of Sauron. So when news of Mithrandirs passing reached us she felt it would be best if another companion joined the quest to bring the number back up to nine and she suggested that I might be the person to take that position. So I took some time, discussed it with a few people that I trust and decided that I would join the quest when the Fellowship sets out from Lothlorien ." I say.

"You're replacing Gandalf?" Elrohir asks.

"Replacing Gandalf? No, none can replace Gandalf, he's irreplaceable. I am merely joining the quest to bring the number back up to nine and to offer my services such as they are to Frodo as he sets out to destroy the ring and rid the world of Saurons dominion of evil." I say.

"I guess we're going to be spending more time together then." Legolas says smiling at me.

"I guess so." I reply returning his smile, and silently praying he can't hear my heart trying to beat its way out of my chest at the prospect of spending more time with him.

"Perhaps I can help you work on your archery some more, teach you some of the techniques we use in Mirkwood" he says.

"That would be great, your first lesson helped me so much." I say enthusiastically.

"I am glad I could be of service." he replies flashing me another smile that make my knees feel like jelly.

"So umm do you know when Aragorn wants to set out?" I ask hoping no one noticed me staring at Legolas.

"He wants to set out ere the end of the month." he says.

"So within the week then?" Elladan asks.

"Yeah, at least that's the plan." Legolas says.

"Which gives us plenty of time to plan a farewell party." Elrohir says.

"Just bear in mind that most members of the Fellowship are mortal and not used to Elvish wine." Legolas says.

"So we'll have it on the ground then, to avoid any one accidentally falling out of trees after drinking too much." Elladan says.

"That's probably the safest option, we don't want to be responsible for any of them plummeting to their deaths." I say.

"No killing the heir to the throne of Gondor would not be very wise." Legolas comments.

"Drunk Aragorn is highly amusing though, I remember one time in Imaldris a few years ago he drank two bottles of fathers finest wine and ran around the courtyard naked. Right when father was leading a delegation from Mirkwood on a tour." Elrohir says.

"Oh yes I remember that day, Lord Elrond was not impressed. He assured us that Aragorn was usually a very well behaved young man and begged us not to judge him based on his actions that night." Legolas says with a chuckle.

"He woke with quite a headache the next morning, for some reason he was not overly appreciative of our method of awakening him for breakfast." Elladan comments.

"And what exactly was this awakening method?" I ask.

"We came into his room, crept quietly over to his bed and banged two pan lids together over his head." Elrohir says.

"Oh well he's clearly got an attitude problem. I mean who WOULDN'T want to be woken up by two idiots banging pan lids together?" I ask poking my tongue out at the twins.

"Exactly! Mortals are so rude. It's a wonder we put up with them really." Elladan says.

"Who wants more wine?" I ask reaching for the bottle and pouring myself another glass.

"Is that really a question?" Elrohir asks.

"Oh right sorry, I momentarily forgot with whom I was dining." I say standing up walking over to him and pouring more wine into his glass.

"So Legolas how did your father take the news of your joining the Fellowships quest to destroy the Ring?" Rumil asks.

"I know not what his feelings are on the subject, but I believe he would agree that destroying the Ring is a noble quest and that he would wish for the Elves to be represented." he says.

"You didn't consult him before deciding to join the quest?" I ask.

"There was not time, the decision was made at the Council, none who pledged their allegiance to Frodo had time to consult with others on their decision." he says.

"But surely your father knows of your decision by now. Has he not sent word to you of his thoughts on the quest?" I ask.

"I am sure he has heard about the quest and my decision to join the Fellowship, but how could he send word when our whereabouts at any given time is unknown?" he asks.

"You didn't discuss the route you would take ere setting out from Imaldris?" I ask.

"Nay we did not, for we were not sure ourselves of what path we would take, we are still unsure of what path we will take." he says.

"You haven't planned the journey?" I ask.

"Other than ending up in Mordor and throwing the Ring into the fires of Mount Doom no, we decided it is best not to plot a route for we do not know what perils may await us on the road that would cause us to change course." he says.

"Plus the fact that not having any planned route eliminates the possibility of said route plan falling into the hands of the enemy enabling him to ambush you all and take the ring by stealth." Elladan says.

I nod in agreement before turning to Legolas "Can I ask you a question?" I ask hesitantly.

"Fire away." he says smiling encouragingly at me.

"D-do you think any of your companions will object to having a woman join the Fellowship?"I ask.

"I don't see why they would, there are many female warriors in Mirkwood and they're treated the same way as the male ones." he says.

"Yeah but maybe it's different for mortals, men in particular seem to prefer their women to stay at home rather than to fight." I say.

"Well if any of them give you a hard time let me know and I'll set them straight." he says "or we can spar and give them a demonstration of your fighting skills."

"Ok sounds like a plan." I say.

"You're going to be a great addition to our company, another capable warrior especially one of the Galadhrim is a great asset and everyone in the Fellowship knows that." Legolas says.

**Chapter sevens all done! Thanks for the reviews, follows and favs they mean so much to me! Keep them coming! Thanks for reading hope you enjoyed the chapter!**


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter Eight:

**Disclaimer: I do not own The Lord of The Rings or any of its characters pr places. They all belong to Professor Tolkien.**

**A/N: Chapter Eight is here! Thanks to all the reviewers, and everyone who has read, followed or favuorited this story it means so much to me and inspires me too keep writing. I love you all!**

A few days later Kieanas POV

"So today's the big day, are you nervous? Scared? Excited? How are you feeling?" Orophin asks. He, Rumil, Haldir and I are having breakfast together for the last time before I set out with the Fellowship.

"All of those, but mostly I'm going to miss you." I say. "I mean we've never been apart for more than a few weeks at a time and now I'm going off on a quest and I'll be gone for months maybe even longer. I don't know when I'm going to see you again or even if I'll ever see you again. Maybe I'm making the wrong decision, maybe I should stay here with all of you. Maybe it's not my destiny to go on the quest, I don't even know if I believe in destiny and fate and all that 'this is your path' stuff. What if something happens here? What if something happens to one of you, or one of our friends or the twins or Arwen or Elrond or..."

"Kieana." Haldir says softly and I realize he is standing in front of me with his hand on my shoulder. "It's going to be ok. You're making the right decision."

"A-are you sure?"' I ask quietly looking up into his eyes.

"Yes, I wouldn't tell you it was the right decision if I didn't believe it." he says pulling me into a hug.

"I'm going to miss you." I say hugging him back tightly.

"And I you." he says.

"I think I'm ok now." I say pulling away from him and flashing him a small smile. "Sorry for losing my head, I was trained better than that."

"You have nothing to apologize for, this is a huge thing you're doing. Joining the quest to destroy the Ring of Power, destroy the one thing that is keeping the Dark Lord from re-gaining is full strength. You're leaving home and your family and setting out on your own for the first time, and journeying to lands you have never been to before. Don't be ashamed of yourself for being a little apprehensive, in fact I would be more worried if you weren't a little apprehensive." Haldir says.

"A little apprehension is good, it means you will be cautious and caution on a perilous quest such as the one you are about to embark upon is good. As Legolas said at dinner none can tell what perils you may come across on your journey, so a good level of caution will serve you well." Rumil says.

"And besides if you get scared on the quest you can always snuggle up to the Woodland Prince." Orophin says with a smirk.

"Legolas and I are friends."I say willing myself not to blush as an image of myself hugging Legolas pops into my head.

"Whatever you say little sister, but I saw the way you looked at him at dinner." Rumil says a lightly teasing tone lacing his words.

"Well then you must have had too much wine, because I assure you I was looking at him no differently than I was looking at any of the rest of you." I say.

"Whatever you say." Rumil repeats with a grin.

"We got you something, just a little farewell gift. Something to remember us by." Haldir says changing the subject and shooting our brothers a 'that's enough' look.

"You didn't have to get me anything. I could never forget you! You're my brothers." I say.

"We know we didn't have to, We wanted to," Orophin says handing me a small package wrapped in paper and bound with rope.

"What is it?" I ask.

"Open it and find out." Rumil says.

"Ok." I say softly before untying the rope and gently un-wrapping the paper to reveal a picture frame made of the wood of a Mallorn tree and etched with leaves of gold. Inside the frame is a painting of the four of us in our Galardhrim cloaks holding our bows and smiling standing in front of a Mallorn tree. "It's beautiful." I say so softly I'm not sure they heard me.

"Turn it over." Haldir prompts.

I gently turn the frame over in my hands revealing a message written in Elvish. 'We are so proud of you for having the courage to go on this quest, never forget how much we love you. Ada and naneth would be so proud to know their little yenya is one of the brave companions seeking to destroy the One Ring and bring down the Dark Lord once and for all. Much love Rumil, Orophin and Haldir.' I finish reading the message and look up at the three of them a few tears leaking from my eyes "You're the best brothers in the world ever" I say hugging them all at once. "Promise me you'll look out for each other while I'm gone."

"Only if you promise to take care of yourself, don't spread yourself too thin, don't take every night watch. Make sure you get enough sleep, at least a few hours every night where possible, and don't wonder off on your own take Legolas or one of the others with you if you want to run on ahead and scout out what's coming up." Haldir says.

"If the others are tired I'm not going to make them take the night watch. Elves are naturally more resilient than mortals and need less sleep." I say.

"So share the watch with Legolas, he's another one who has a tendency to stretch himself too thin the two of you need to rest so you can remain in peak condition and ready for anything that may come your way." Haldir says.

"Ok fine, I'll share the watch with Legolas and I'll try not to spread myself too thin." I say.

"And we promise to look out for each other till we're all reunited." Rumil says.

"I guess we should go and find my companions." I say.

"Yes you will be setting out on your quest soon. " Haldir says. "We should go and help with the final preparations."

* * *

><p>Legolas's POV<p>

"Gather your belongings and be ready to leave at noon." Aragorn says as we sit around the campfire eating breakfast.

"Can we not stay another day and leave tomorrow?" Gimli asks holding his head in his hands.

"We leave today." Aragorn repeats.

"What's the matter Gimli?" I ask.

"Remind me never again to drink Elvish wine." he groans in response.

"Second that for me." Pippin murmurs from across the circle, Merry and Sam nor their agreement.

"Elvish wine is deceptively strong. Did I not warn you of that that last night?" Aragorn asks.

"Aye you did laddie" Gimli admits somewhat grudgingly.

"And did I not inform you that we would be leaving today at noon?" he asks.

"Yes." Gimli says.

"Well then I see no reason that we should tarry here any longer." he says.

"Perhaps the fresh air and a brisk walk will do you good." I say trying to hide my amusement.

"And what are you smiling about Elf? You drank more than I did, how is it that you are so cheerful?" Gimli asks.

"As the son of the Woodland King he grew up drinking the finest Elvish wine. King Thranduil is well known among the Elves for having a great selection of wine in a cellar beneath his palace. There is talk of barrels of wine dating back to before the War of the Last Alliance ." Aragorn says.

"Your grandfather was alive in the Eldar days?" Sam asks turning to me with wide eyes.

"As was my father, they to war as part of the Last Alliance against the armies of Sauron. There in the year 3434 of the Second Age my grandfather was slain and my father returned to Greenwood now known as Mirkwood with but a third of the host that set out." I say.

"You never met your grandfather?" Gimli asks.

"No, but my father spoke of him often and I have read of his deeds in books written by my kin in years past." I say.

"So are you the heir to the throne of Mirkwood or do you have an older brother?" Merry asks.

"I will take the throne if my father sails across the sea to Valinor." I say.

"Has your mother sailed or does she remain in Middle Earth with your father." Pippin asks.

"My mother was slain in battle at Gundabad. She now dwells in the Halls of Mandos with my grandfather." I say softly.

"You are the only family your father has left and yet he allows you to come on such a dangerous quest? Would he not rather have you at home with him?" Pippin asks.

"I am sure that he would prefer I was home. But he knows better than anyone that sacrifices must be made in war if good is to have any hope of triumph over evil." I say a slight edge in my voice. "Father has seen more than enough war and wishes for nothing but peace for all the free peoples of Middle Earth."

"Then why didn't he come to the council himself?" Pippin asks.

"Because his duty is to his people, he has a Kingdom to run and battles to fight on the borders of our own land. The wood is infested with orcs, spiders and many other foul things, it is a constant battle to keep our realm free of the darkness that has poisoned much of the rest of the forest. Elflings in Mirkwood are forced to grow up quickly, we start training at a young age and join patrols or healers when we come of age." I explain.

"The final member of your company is here!" a voice announces and Kieana comes bounding into the clearing followed closely by her brothers. "I am very much looking forward to getting to know you all better while we are on the road." she adds smiling round at everyone.

"The quest to destroy the Ring is not place for a woman." Boromir says.

"And why is that Boromir of Gondor? Do you believe women to be weaker than men? Less capable to fight for their freedom and the freedom of their families?" she asks turning to him.

"Battle is no place for a woman." Boromir says. "Particularly not one so young as yourself."

"I assure you I am just as capable in battle as you or any man of Gondor, Rohan or any other realm in Middle Earth." she says. "and as for being too young, well let's just say I have lived for many lives of men."

"Legolas, may we have a word with you ere you set out?" a soft voice asks and I turn to see Haldir, Rumil and Orophin standing a few feet behind me.

"Of course mellon-nin." I reply and follow them out of the clearing and into the forest out of the hearing range of the others.

* * *

><p>"As you may know Kieana has never ventured beyond the borders of this land save for a few trips to Imaldris to visit Lord Elrond and his family. We know it is the will of the Valar that she join your Fellowship in the quest to destroy the One Ring and we are immensely proud of her for her courage in doing so." Haldir says.<p>

"She is a skilled warrior, I am honoured to have her join us." I say.

"You are one of our northern kindred and we have been friends for many years and we come to you now to ask a favour." Rumil says.

"You wish for me to be a friend to Kieana on the road, to watch out for her and ensure that she does not overwork herself in her determination to aid Frodo in his quest to destroy the Ring." I say.

"I see you have inherited your fathers gift for reading people." Haldir says with a smile. "We would greatly appreciate it if you could do that yes."

"Consider it done mellon." I say returning his smile.

"For that we are eternally grateful, it makes my heart glad to know that she will have such a good friend on the journey with her for I fear the road will not be easy." Orophin says.

"Oh and if you could refrain from mentioning this conversation to Kieana that would be much appreciated also." Rumil adds.

"You do not think she would appreciate your asking me to look out for her?" I ask.

"I believe she would think we are being overly protective of her." Haldir says.

"It'll be our secret, and if she asks what we were talking about I will tell her that we were merely debating which land is fairer, Lorien or Mirkwood." I say.

"There is no debate on that topic for surely the Golden wood is by far the fairest kingdom in all the lands." Haldir says.

"Nay Greenwood is much fairer." I say "The halls of my father are particularly beautiful."

"The Kings halls are fine, but they have nothing on the beauty of Caras Galadhon." Rumil says.

"Ah but we have many beautiful springs and rivers in Greenwood that you do not have here in Lorien." I say.

"I am afraid you will find that you are all wrong, for surely the beauty of Imaldris far outshines that of both the Greenwood and the Golden wood." Elladans voice announces as he and his brother join our little group."

We continue to argue back and forth until I notice the shadows of the trees start to change signalling the coming of the afternoon. "Ok ok this is clearly getting us nowhere, so how about we agree that each realm is equally beautiful in it's own way" I suggest.

"What is this? Do my ears deceive me or did Legolas Thranduilion just speak out as a voice of reason?" Elrohir asks turning to his brother.

"Nay brother your ears do not deceive you for I too heard the princeling suggest that we come to an agreement." Elladan says "Are you feeling ok mellon? Did you perhaps drink too much wine at last night's festivities?"

"I am feeling perfectly well, and no I did not drink too much wine last night. But the time of our departure is fast approaching and we still have some things to pack ere our final meeting with Lord Celeborn and Lady Galadriel." I say.

**A/N: Another chapter finished! Thanks again for reading everyone! I love you all. Thanks to everyone who has favourited followed or reviewed this story, it means alot. **

**Next chapter the Fellowships time in Lothlorien comes to an end! **

**Please review, favourite, follow and feel free to PM me any time! Thanks again until next time.**


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter Nine:

**Disclaimer: I do not own The Lord of The Rings, its characters or its places. The all belong to Tolkien. A/N: Here's chapter nine guys! Hope you like it! Please read and review!**

Kieana's POV

"You are about to set out on your quest, the journey will be long and the road hard. But if the company remains true the quest will not fail." Galadriel says coming to stand in front of the nine of us. I hear footsteps approaching from behind me and glance over my shoulder in time to see a small group of elves approaching us each one holding a Galadhrim cloak. Silently they make their way round us coming to a halt in front of us and draping a cloak around the shoulders of my eight companions, clasping them with an intricate leaf broach similar to the one I myself am wearing. "Never before have we clad others in the garb of our own people." she says with a smile.

"Have you decided the course you are going to take?" Celeborn asks coming to stand in front of Aragorn who is standing at the other end of our line.

"Not yet my Lord, there are many courses we could take and all have their own set of merits and dangers." Aragorn replies.

"As leader of this company the choice of what course you will take is yours, but If I may I will help you make your decision if you will allow it?" Celeborn asks.

"Any counsel you can give me will be greatly appreciate my Lord." Aragorn says bowing his head respectfully.

"Then I shall remind you that there are some among you who can handle boats, our own Kieana, who has spent many hours learning the art of steering boats, Legolas, whose folk know the swift Forest river of Greenwood, Boromir of Gondor, and also yourself for I know the men of Numenor are familiar with boats." Celeborn says. "Therefore I offer you the use of boats so that you may for a time travel on the river."

"Thank-you my Lord the gift of boats is much appreciated for it will allow more time to choose the best course to take to Mordor." Aragorn says.

"I have brought with me many gifts so that you may remember your time in Lothlorien." Galdriel says coming first to Aragron. "Here is the gift of Celeborn and Galadriel for the leader of your company" she says handing him a sheath overlaid with an intricate design of flowers and leaves of silver and gold, elf runes made of many fine gems spell out the name Aunduril the sword that cut the Ring from the hand of the Dark Lord during the battle of The Last Alliance. "The blade that is drawn from this sheath will not be stained or broken even in defeat." she says before moving on to Sam.

"And for you little gardener and lover of trees, I have only a small gift." she says handing him a small wooden box. "In this box you will find earth from my own orchard I have bestowed blessings upon it so that even if you find all the lands to be barren your garden will bloom like few others if you sprinkle this earth there. Then may you catch a glimpse of far Lothlorien that you have only yet seen in winter. For our spring and summer are now past and will never be seen again save in memory." Sams cheeks flushed red at her words and he looked down at his feet.

To Merry and Pippin she gave small silver belts clasped with single golden flower which they thanked her for and immediately fastened around their waists. Then to Boromir she gave a golden belt similar in design to the Hobbits but clasped with white tree.

Next she came to Legolas to whom she gave a bow of the Galardhrim which he took in his hands and studied closely before slinging it over his back along with the quiver of arrows that accompanied it.

"What gift would a Dwarf ask of the Elves?" she asks coming to stand in front of Gimli.

"None my lady." he replied gruffly "It is enough to have looked upon the Lady of the Galadhrim and to have heard her kind words."

"Hear all ye Elves." she said aloud so that all may hear her words "Let none say again that dwarves are grasping and ungracious." then she continued in a quieter tone "Yet surely, Gimli son of Gloin, you must desire something that I can give? Name it I bid you, for you will not be the only guest without a gift."

"There is nothing Lady Galadriel." he says bowing his head and stammering. "Unless...unless it be...a single golden hair from your head for it surpasses all the gold of the earth as the starts outshine the gems of the mine. I would not ask for such a gift but you bade me name my desire."

"And what would you do with such a gift?" she asks with a smile.

"Treasure it, Lady as a memory of your kinds words to me at our first meeting. And should I have the good fortune to return to my home in the Mountains it shall be set in impenetrable crystal to be an heirloom of my house, a pledge of good will between the Mountain and the Wood." he replies. At his words Galadriel reached up and unbound one of her long braids before cutting three hairs and handing them to the Dwarf with a smile before moving on to Frodo.

"And for the Ring bearer I have prepared this." she says pulling a glittering phial from the fold of her cloak . "In this phial is caught the light of Earendil, set among the waters of my fountain. It will shine brighter when night is about you. May it be a light to you in dark places when all other lights go out." she says.

"Thankyou my lady I will treasure it greatly." Frodo says taking the phial and carefully slipping it into his pocket.

"Finally I come to the newest member of your company, and the one whom I know best. For you Kieana I have a gift that was left in my care to be given to you when I deemed fit." she says handing me a set of twin daggers. "These blades belonged to your mother, and she left them with me ere she sailed to Valinor with the instructions that they be passed on to you." she says with a smile. "Let them be a reminder of your home here and the people that love you, and may they give you courage on your journey."

"Thankyou My Lady." I say fighting back the tears that are threatening to spill from my eyes as I take the daggers from her and placing them in my quiver with my arrows.

"Let us now go down to the river and begin our journey down the Great River." Aragorn says and the we all follow him as he makes his way down to the rivers edge where three small grey boats are seen floating on the water tethered to the bank by strong slender ropes.

Legolas falls into step with me as we walk reaching out and wrapping is arm around me in a sort of half hug. "Your mother is surely at this moment smiling in Valinor, knowing that her daughter has grown to be so brave and loyal." he says softly.

I glance up at him wondering how it is that he seems to know what I am thinking in this moment. "I hope she is not disappointed that I chose the life of a warrior instead of that of a healer." I say equally softly.

"You're too hard on yourself mellon-nin.I am sure she would be very proud of you" he says.

"So how do you think Aragorn will arrange us in the boats?" I ask.

"I think he will split us up into groups of three, himself with two of the Hobbits probably Frodo and Sam, then maybe Boromir with Merry and Pippin in the second boat leaving you and I in the third with Gimli." he says.

"Well that wouldn't be so bad, I would much rather be in a boat with you and the Dwarf than with Boromir, he probably thinks women shouldn't be in boats. That all we're good for is cooking, healing and bringing up the children." I say unable to keep the frustration out of my tone.

"Oh now that's not entirely fair, I am sure he deems you quite capable of making and fixing clothes also." Legolas says a slight teasing tone in his voice.

I roll my eyes at him and elbow him lightly in the ribs. "Haha." I say poking my tongue out at him "You're too much like the twins for your own good." I add trying to sound annoyed but ruining it by breaking into a grin. I don't know what it is about the Greenwood Prince but even though I have only known him for a few short weeks I feel as if we have been friends for our whole lives, I feel more at ease around him than I do most other elves apart from my brothers. "So which of us is going to take charge of the boat if Aragorn does in fact assign us to the same one?" I ask.

"Ladies choice, we can take it in turns if you wish, or if you would prefer to relax and enjoy the scenery I can row the boat." he says.

"It would appear that your father raised you well and trained you in etiquette as well as battle skills and diplomacy." I say.

"Yes my father would often scold me if my manners were not of a standard he deemed acceptable for a Prince. On more than one occasion I was reprimanded for being late to meals, or not thanking the cooks and servers. Also if I came to a meeting straight from the training field without bothering to change into my formal robes he would give me a stern look and speak to me later about the proper attire for the heir to the throne in a meeting with captains of the guard and Lords or Kings from foreign lands." he says.

"It sounds like he is rather strict and stern." I comment.

"As a King he needs to be to a certain extent, even when it comes to his own kin. But he also loves his people dearly and posses a keen sense of humour and a quick mind." he says.

"Are you and your father close?" I ask.

"He is my father, I love him dearly. We may not agree on all things, and at times we drive each other mad but he is my father and I would lay my life down for him in a heartbeat and I know he would do the same for me." he says the conviction in his voice leaving no doubt in my mind that his words are true.

"I would very much like to meet him one day, he sounds like an interesting Elf." I say.

"Perhaps you will one day once the quest if finished and the Ring destroyed. Maybe I will take you to Greenwood and show you how the Wood Elves celebrate" he says.

"Do you really believe the quest will be successful?" I ask. "The enemy knows that the Ring is in the possession of a Hobbit and that you entered this realm after leaving the mines of Moria."

"Yes he does, but I do not believe it has entered his mind that we should seek to destroy the Ring instead of trying to wield it against him and that is where we have the element of surprise, so long as we can maintain that I believe the quest stands a good chance of being successful." he says.

"Why do you think he hasn't entertained the idea that we might seek to destroy it?" I ask.

"He is evil, and evil seeks nothing but power. The Ring gives the wearer that power, he would simply not be able to comprehend the idea that one would seek to destroy it rather than wield that power themselves." he says.

"Well that's something I guess, it gives us the element of surprise which is good." I say.

"I'll take any advantage we can get against the Dark Lord, no matter how small or seemingly trivial it may be. Any advantage in war no matter how small is better than none." he says offering me his hand as we come to a particularly steep section of the path leading down to the river's edge where the boats are waiting. I take it with a small smile and allow him to lead the way down the embankment coming to stop at the bottom to wait for everyone to catch up, many of them opting to take the slightly longer less slippery path down to the water's edge.

"I see you managed to navigate the slope quite well little sister." Rumil says exchanging an amused smirk with Orophin as the two of them join us at the foot of the slope a few minutes later.

I frown slightly wondering what could possibly be amusing them when I realize my hand is still holding tightly onto Legolas's even "The path was steep" I say defensively before somewhat reluctantly pulling my hand out of the Princes and walking off towards the boats where the other members of the Fellowship are standing awaiting Aragorn who is speaking with Celeborn a few metres away.

**A/N: Thanks for reading! Reviews would be great! Which boat do you guys want Kieana to go in? Should she go with the elf prince or someone else? Please let me know what you think of the story so far and feel free to PM me any time!**


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter Ten

**Disclaimer: I do not own The Lord of The Rings, its characters or its places. The all belong to Tolkien.**

**A/N: Chapter Ten is here enjoy! And please take a couple of minutes to review it is much appreciated and inspires me to write!**

**Kieana's POV**

"Farewell little sister." Haldir says coming over to me as I set my pack in the boat I am to share with Legolas and Gimli. "Don't over work yourself too much." he adds pulling me into a hug.

"I'll try not to." I reply hugging him back briefly before pulling away from him and wiping away the few tears that have leaked down my cheeks.

"Goodbye Kieana, look after yourself." Rumil says "we'll have a bottle of wine ready for when you return."

"That would be good." I say smiling at him.

"If you meet any pretty elleths on your journey be sure to tell them all about your devastatingly handsome brothers." Orophin says.

"Oh I definitely will." I say poking my tongue out at him before pulling both him and Rumil in for a hug. "Don't cause too much trouble for Haldir while I'm gone."

Legolas joins us a few minutes later setting his quiver down next to mine in the boat before turning to Haldir with a smile. "It was good too see you again Mellon-nin." he says reaching out and laying a hand on his shoulder.

"Likewise." Haldir replies placing his hand on Legolas's shoulder and returning his smile.

Legolas then repeats the gesture with Orophin and Rumil before dropping his arm to his side and turning to me. "You will be sharing a boat with Gimli and myself, I hope that is alright." he says.

"That's totally fine, I thought that would be how Aragorn would arrange the boats, and it will give me an opportunity to get to know the Dwarf." I say.

"It appears I am to be stuck in a boat with you laddie." Gimli says stumping over to us and glaring up at Legolas.

"I could tie a rope around you and let you swim alongside if that is preferable to you."Legolas replies and the share a chuckle.

"Just don't let us drown and all will be well." Gimli says.

"I have been using boats since before you and even your father were born master dwarf, there will be no drowning while I am in the boat for I have never fallen out of a boat and nor have any who have shared a boat with me." Legolas says.

"Do not lie to the Dwarf Legolas, if my memory does not fail me I believe there was at least one occasion in Greenwood when you fell out of your boat and into the water; during a race no less." Elladan says joining our group with Elrohir close behind.

"I only fell out of the boat because you two were rocking it so violently that there was no way I could have stayed in it." Legolas protests. "and I think you are forgetting that I spent a week in the healing rooms after that incident because I hit my head on a rock and almost drowned."

"I can't imagine Thranduil was too amused by that turn of events." Haldir says.

"No he wasn't. He called us into his office and informed us that should his little Greenleaf not survive he would have us thrown in dungeons for rest of our existence." Elrohir says.

"And what did Lord Elrond say to that?" I ask.

"He agreed with the King and told us that boats are not toys and that we ought to be more careful in the future." Elladan says.

"How long ago was this?" Rumil asks.

"It was the day before my coming of age." Legolas says. "so almost three thousand years ago."

"I sometimes forget how young you are Princeling." Elladan says with a smirk.

"I am not that much younger than you, less than a thousand years at any rate." Legolas says.

"Yes, but not by much." Elrohir says with a smirk identical to his brothers.

"I think Aragorn wants to leave." I say pointing at the first boat where Aragorn is helping Frodo and Sam get comfortable.

"Farewell! May the blessings of Men, Elves and all free peoples go with you on your quest." Elladan says.

"You stole that from your father." Legolas says.

"Yes but that does not make the words any less true." Elladan replies with a smile. "Look out for each other and do not let your guard down even when you are among friends."

"Goodbye, send my love to Arwen and tell her I look forward to seeing her in Valinor." I say smiling at the twins.

"We shall. Take care of yourself Kieana, and try to keep the Legolas in line." Elrohir says earning himself a glare from the Prince.

"I guess we should get in the boat, lest we get left behind." I say. "Where should I sit?" I ask turning to Legolas.

"That depends, would you like to steer the boat?" he asks.

"No I'll just go along for the ride. You can steer, or Gimli can." I say.

"Nay, I will leave the boat steering to you pointy ears. We dwarves do not have much need for boats." Gimli says.

"Very well, then I shall take the back for it is easier to steer from there and then maybe Gimli in the middle and Kieana at the front." Legolas says.

"Don't let me fall out." Gimli says as he hesitantly climbs into the boat and settles himself in the middle.

"You're not going to fall out, no one is going to fall out." Legolas says climbing into the boat behind the Dwarf and taking the oar I hold out to him before climbing in the boat myself.

Once we are all settled Legolas uses the oar to push us away from the shore. A few minutes later the other two boats join us in the middle of the river and we set out one in front of the other, Aragorn leading with Frodo and Sam, Bormir, Pippin and Merry behind him leaving us in the back. I give my brothers one final wave as we drift down the river leaving Lothlorien behind us.

I sigh and pick up one of my knives and studying the intricate design of leaves and flowers that adorn the hilt. My thoughts drifting to memories of my mother. Walking among the trees teaching me about the healing properties of various plants and how to prepare them. I remember admiring these blades as a young elfling and marvelling at the way they would effortlessly cut through even the toughest of stems.

"Are you alright mellon-nin?" Legolas asks softly.

"I am fine I was just thinking of my mother." I reply turning my head slightly to smile at him.

"You will see her again." he says giving me a sad smile.

"I hope so, I miss her and my Ada so much." I say.

"Where are they?" Gimli asks.

"They sailed to Valinor almost a thousand years ago now." I say running my hand over the hilt of the blade one more time before returning it to my quiver with its twin.

"Will you sail?" he asks.

"I am sure I will one day but I have not yet felt the call of the sea." I say.

* * *

><p>Legolas's POV<p>

"It is a beautiful night." I say quietly a few hours later keeping my voice low so as not to awaken our companions who are sleeping a few metres away.

"I love watching the stars, there's something so calming about them. I remember sitting in a tree with my Ada learning about all the constellations and what they mean." Kieana says softly.

"I too learnt about the stars from my Ada, and still we like to watch the stars together whenever time allows it, which alas is not as often as either of us would like." I say "Some nights when I was an elfling we used to stay up late watching the stars, and naneth would tell ada off for letting me stay up to late." I add smiling at the memories.

"On clear nights when he wasn't on duty ada would take Rumil, Orophin, Haldir and I to the edge of the forest we'd light a fire and stay up late looking up at the stars. When we were young we'd fall asleep and he'd cover us up with blankets so we didn't get cold, then we'd wake up with the sun and forage for berries and fresh fruits for breakfast." Kieana says. "I miss them so much." she adds so quietly I almost don't hear it.

"You will." I say quietly unsure if she wanted me to hear her last words.

"I hope so." she responds a hint of sadness in her tone.

"You will, one day you will all be reunited in Valinor and you'll watch the stars together." I say.

"You really think so?" she asks.

"Well none can know for sure what the future holds, but it is my hope that the quest will be a success, Sauron will finally be destroyed and my home can once and for all be rid of the darkness that has infested it for centuries. Greenwood the Great will flourish once more and we will lose the name of Mirkwood." I say.

"I hope that all comes to pass." she says softly.

"As do I." I agree.

"Have you ever thought about sailing?" she asks after a few minutes of comfortable silence.

"Not really, I know that one day I will feel the call of the sea, but for now I am content to live under the trees." I say. "What about you?"

"No I still love Lorien. I cannot imagine living anywhere else. But I know that one day I will wish to sail and join our kin in Valinor." she says.

"Lorien is beautiful, the trees are so full of memory. I hope I will have the good fortune to be able to return and spend more time in the forest listening to the trees and learning of all the things they have seen" I say.

"I saw the way they responded to you, it is almost like you are an old friend they have not seen for many years. I had heard that the wood-elves had a special connection to the trees but I had not witnessed it until you came into the forest." she says. "I would love to hear the voices of the trees and to be able to communicate with them the way you and your kin do."

"Maybe after the quest we can return to Lothlorien together, you can show me the wood and I shall teach you to speak to the trees." I say.

"I'd like that." she says. "tell me about Greenwood, what was it like to grow up there?"

"It was great. It's called Mirkwood by outsiders but for those of us who live there it is still Greenwood. The darkness that insfests the forest has been kept from our realm in the north part of the wood. I spent much of my time as a young elfling climbing the trees around the palace, often climbing to high for my Naneths liking for she would worry that I would fall but I never did. I would swim in the river on hot days, race up the trees with the other elflings. Then when I got a bit older and began my lessons I would spend hours reading books in palace library, learning history and poetry. I would join the healers and learn about herbs and badages, how to make salves and healing draughts, how to treat poisoned wounds from orc blades and spider bites. But by far my favourite lessons were my combat training, from a young age I loved the bow I would spend hours at the range watching the archers and learning as much as I could, admiring the speed and accuracy with which they could fire an arrow at a target hitting the centremost circle every time. I vowed to myself that one day I too would be as skilled as they were." I pause realizing I have been talking for the last few minutes "I hope I am not boring you." I say turning to my companion with a questioning look.

"No, you are not boring me, I like hearing of what it is like to grow up in other realms, many a time I would ask Arwen and the twins about their lives in Imaldris." she replies "please continue, I would love to hear about your friends."

"If you are sure I am not boring you." I say uncertainly.

"I assure you I am not bored, hearing of these things reminds me of being home with my brothers, sitting together and sharing stories of the past." she says.

"What would you like to know?" she asks.

"I don't know, tell me about your friends, what are they like? Is there an elleth waiting for you at home?" she asks.

"No elleths, well obviously there are elleths but there is not one in particular that is waiting for me. Not for lack of trying, it seems like they are lining up to dance with me at every feast and festival and as a Prince it is my duty to dance each one who asks me for one." I say.

"What about when you do eventually meet the one you want to spend your life with, would you still be duty bound to dance with other elleths?" she asks.

"No, it is only because I have not yet married or courting that I have to dance with all the elleths. My friends often tell me that the only reason I am so popular with the elleths is because I am a Prince and that if I was just a common elf like them I would be forced to dance alone at every celebration." I say.

"Sounds like something the twins would say." she comments softly.

"They have on multiple occasions." I reply with a smile.

"How did you meet them?" she asks.

"It was a long time ago now, Lord Elrond and his family came to visit the Greenwood for my coming of age. A group of archers went down to the river myself and the twins among them, we got into boats and decided to race each other along a small stretch of river that ran through the forest near the palace. The final race of the night was between myself and the twins, each in our own boats." I say. "I started to pull ahead of them and they didn't like that so they came up behind and started rocking my boat hoping to throw me off course, but unfortunately for them they were a little too rough and I fell out of the boat, hit my head on a rock and nearly drowned."

"Is that the story you mentioned earlier? When we were standing by the boat in Lorien?" she asks.

"It is I think that is when their fear of my father began, for he was quite angrily to them." I say. "My father is not angry or cruel, usually he is quite understanding but I think he was afraid that I would not recover for I was still unconscious at the time and the healers were unsure of the extent of my injuries not being able to rouse me and ask how I felt."

"He must have been relieved when you awoke." she says.

"He had not left my bedside for three whole days, the healers told me so when I woke to find him sleeping in a chair. It is one of the few times I have seen my ada cry, he told me that he had thought I would not wake and he would have to bury another member of his family." I say softly.

"I am sorry, I did not mean to upset you by making you relive painful memories." she says reaching out and laying a hand on my shoulder and moving slightly closer to me.

"You are not upsetting me mellon-nin, it is I who chose to tell the story." I say.

"Ok." she says softly.

"We had the ceremony a few days later once I had been released from the healing ward and Ada was sure I was fully recovered. It was a good celebration, the twins sat with me and apologised for almost drowning me, I told them there was no need for apologies for I knew they had not intended to harm me and we have been friends ever since." I say glancing at her to ensure I am not boring her only to find that she has fallen asleep, her head resting against my shoulder and her breathing steady. Gently so as not to wake her I wrap my arm around her shoulders covering her in my cloak so she does not get cold while she sleeps.

**A/N: Thanks for reading everyone! Hope you liked the chapter please review and let me know what you think. Also feel free to PM me any time and fav or follow the story if you so wish! Until next time lovely readers!**


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter Eleven

**Disclaimer: I do not own The Lord of The Rings, its characters or its places. The all belong to Tolkien.**

Kieanas POV

I slowly open my eyes squinting against the harsh sunlight. I attempt to roll over to bury my face in the pillow but instead come into contact with something solid and warm, frowning I open my eyes to find that my head is in the lap of the woodland Prince who is speaking quietly to Aragorn telling him of the happenings during the night. "There is nothing to report" Legolas says softly "the night passed without incident."

"She seems to be very comfortable around you." Aragorn comments. "I have known her for a few years now and never have I seen her so comfortable around anyone save for her brothers."

"I think it has more to do with her need for sleep overtaking her will to stay awake than anything else." Legolas says.

"It seems a shame to wake her when she is so comfortable." Aragorn says. "but we must depart soon and continue our journey. It would be unwise to stay in one place for too long."

"Your observational skills must be diminished of late, for if you had been paying attention you would have noticed that she is in fact already awake." Legolas says and I can almost see the smile I am sure is at this moment spreading its self across his face.

"She's not awake her eyes are closed." Aragorn says.

"Estel I believe you are forgetting that we elves sleep with our eyes open, surely you would be aware of that having spent most of your childhood in Imaldris." I say sitting up and shaking my head at him in mock annoyance all the while trying to keep my embarrassment at falling asleep on Legolas from showing on my face.

"Mortals have such feeble memories, it's really quite amazing to me how they manage to get through each day." Legolas says.

"They are lucky their heads are so firmly attached for if it were not so they would surely leave them behind." I comment exchanging a glance with Legolas before we dissolve into giggles.

"I hate Elves." Aragorn mutters glaring at us in mock annoyance before getting up and stomping off in the direction of the fire to retrieve his pack and rouse the still sleeping Hobbits.

"I will be sure to tell inform Arwen of that next time I see her." I call out to him with a grin.

"I wonder how her brothers would react if they knew of your hatred of Elves? Should we send the twins a letter do you think?" Legolas asks.

"Yes I believe we should. It is only fair, she is their sister after all and they have a right to know of his treachery." I say. "And perhaps we should send word of it to your father, so that he might be made aware that his son is travelling with one who so hates the Elves and take whatever course of action he deems appropriate."

"If we are informing my father then surely we should also tell your brothers and Lord Elrond for surely it would trouble them greatly to hear of the Dunadans prejudice from another source." Legolas says.

"What say you to that Aragorn son of Arathorn who was once named Elf friend? "I ask raising my voice slightly so he can hear me over the sound of the others gathering their belongings and making ready for our departure.

Instead of answering my question the man grabs an apple from his pack and with a quick flick of the wrist proceeds to throw it at me aiming I am assuming for my head. With moves born from years of training I snatch it from the air before bringing it down to my mouth and taking a bite. "Mmm I do love a good crisp apple in the morning." I say earning a smile from Legolas which makes my knees feel like jelly and my heart to flutter in my chest. I don't know what it is about the Greenwood Prince that makes me react in such a way, I have been around handsome elves before and have never had such a reaction. I find myself not for the first time wishing I could speak to my mother and ask her what this strange new sensation is and whether it is cause for concern.

"Are you alright mellon-nin?" Legolas's somewhat concerned voice asks. "You seem a little distracted."

"I am fine, just missing my brothers I guess." I say offering him a small smile.

"It is hard to be separated from those we love." he says "I know it is not the same as having your brothers, but I hope you know that should you ever need to talk I am always happy to listen." he adds.

"Thank-you, I am sure I will take you up on that ere the end of the quest." I say. "I am sorry for falling asleep during the watch last night. I assure you I am not usually so careless."

"I did not think for even a second that you were careless." he says the conviction in his voice causing my heart to skip a beat.

"Umm I should help pull the boats down to the water." I say getting hastily to my feet and handing him his cloak with a nod of thanks before making my way over to the boats and beginning to pull them down to the waters edge.

The next few days are much like the first, travelling down the river from dawn until dusk. Camping on the banks of the river at night ensuring we pull the boats up and hide them amongst the trees. Legolas and I fall into an easy pattern of alternating the watch every few hours while the mortals sleep.

"We will camp here for the night." Aragorn says the following day just as the sun is starting to set.

Legolas expertly guides our boat to the shore helping Gimli and I climb out before pulling it up the river bank and hiding it behind some trees followed closely by Aragorn and Boromir. While they are doing that the rest of us start to gather wood to build a fire, lugging armfuls of twigs and branches into the centre of the small clearing we have picked as our campsite.

"How are you finding the boats?" I ask once we have gathered a large pile of wood and are sitting down together on the grass.

"When I was a young hobbit Mr Bilbo used to get visits from his relations from Buckland and they would often tell me stories of their adventures in boats, and every time they left me old dad would sit me down and he'd say 'Sam don't you go messing around in boats. They are tricky and naught but trouble will come of it.' I never thought I would set foot in a boat, but these Elvish boats aren't too bad." Sam says. "Me old dad being a gardener and considered somewhat of an expert in the growing of root vegetables and in particular potatoes would spend most of his time outside. He loved to watch things grow, it is a love that he passed on to me and I would often accompany him when he went to work tending the gardens at Bag End."

"What's The Shire like? I would love to know more about it." I ask.

"It is very green and homely. Lots of gardens filled with vegetables and flowers, for Hobbits love all things that grow in the ground. We love nothing more than a warm fire and a hearty meal after a long day spent tilling earth and tending the plants in our gardens." Frodo says. "For most Hobbits that is all they do and they are content to live what others may consider a fairly boring existence never venturing far from their homes and definitely never leaving The Shire. Bilbo and I were considered odd in that respect for we would often have dwarves visiting, and would sometimes be seen speaking to the Elves who passed through on their way to the Havens."

"It sounds beautiful, I would very much like to visit it one day" I say.

"Maybe after the quest is done you can come and visit." Frodo says.

"I would like that. Is it true that you live in the ground? Aragorn said that Hobbits live in holes in the ground but I never know if he is telling the truth or trying to trick me into making a fool of myself." I say.

"Many of us do live in the ground, but there are also many of us who live in houses though I would imagine they differ greatly from the houses of the big folk." Frodo says.

"So Aragorn was telling the truth then." I muse to myself before turning to Merry and Pippin who have not said a word since we sat down. "And how about you two?" I ask them smiling in what I hope is an encouraging way.

"I grew up in Buckland which is on the opposite side of the Brandywine river, the wrong side according to many from the main part of The Shire. We were considered queer and not quite right for we would often be seen taking boats out on the river and even swimming in it on hot days. I have many fond memories of days spent on the banks of the river with my cousins." Merry says.

"I love swimming. Long ago when we were still elflings my brothers and I would skip our lessons and run down to the river to swim in the cool water, often returning after dark with dirty and torn clothes. My mother often told me as I got older and started training that she had spent many hours mending and cleaning our clothes. Having four young elflings who love to explore and get into trouble is a lot of work, but she never tired of it, she and Ada were always patient with us even when we did things we knew were wrong." I say.

"For me growing up was similar to both Merry and Sam. I grew up in Tuckborough which is in the main part of The Shire but I was often across the river visiting my cousins in Buckland, though I was always wary of boats and would only venture into the very shallow parts of the river. I never learned to swim but I would put my feet in and wade up to my knees, but never deeper than that. I was always afraid that I would be drownded like Frodos' parents." Pippin says.

"Your parents drowned? I did not know that, I am sorry." I say turning to Frodo and giving him a sad smile.

"I do not really know them for I was only a baby when it happened, I was raised in Brandyhall by Merry's family before Uncle Bilbo adopted me as his heir and brought me to live with him at Bag End in Hobbiton. " Frodo says. "But thankyou for your sympathy my Lady." he adds with a smile.

"Call me Kieana mellon-nin. I am merely a border guard and have no title among my own people. There is no need for formality and titles." I say returning his smile.

"Very well... Kieana." Frodo says blushing slightly. "uhh...am I pronouncing that right?" he asks.

"You are pronouncing it perfectly." I assure him with a smile.

"Have you spent all your life in Lothlorien?" Pippin asks.

"Most of it yes, I have on occasion visited the Lord Elrond in Imaldris but other than that I have spent all of my time in the Golden wood." I reply.

"So...what caused you to come with us now? After spending so long in one place?" Sam asks.

"I believe it is the will of the Valar that I do what I can to aid the ring bearer in his quest and so here I am." I say.

"H-how old are you if you don't mind my asking." Gimli pipes in his gruff voice sounding somewhat wary.

"I do not mind at all mellon. I was born in the year 200 of the this age." I say.

"So that means you are 3000 years old?" Sam asks in awe.

"Well 2818 if you want to be exact." I say smiling at him.

"Wow, I could not ever imagine being so old! You must have so many stories to tell." Merry says.

"I have some." I say with a chuckle. "But what you have to understand is that among my I am considered still to be fairly young. Others like Lord Elrond and Legolas's father are far older than having been born ere the Last Alliance of elves and men when this Ring we all now seek to destroy was first taken from the hand of the Dark Lord."

"Who is Legolas's father? Was he at the Council?" Pippin asks.

"Nay he was not at the council. He sent Legolas in his stead to bring tidings of the escape of Gollum." I say.

"Why couldn't he come himself?" Pippin asks.

"He is the King Pippin, and his lands are over run by orcs and spiders who seek to destroy his kingdom. He cannot leave his people to fight in his stead so he sent his son to Imaldris in his place." I reply.

"Legolas's father is a King? But that means Legolas is a Prince!" Pippin says. "I did not know that, I thought he was just a messenger from Mirkwood."

"Yes he is." I say. "Although I believe he would not want you to refer to him as such, he much prefers to be treated as a normal elf when he is outside his own realm."

"Oh ok...why?" he asks.

"Because Pippin my Father has a somewhat...shall we say colourful reputation among the free peoples of Middle Earth and if it were known that I am his son it may put us in danger or cause others to be wary of me for fear of upsetting my father." Legolas says joining the group followed by Aragorn.

"Does he have a bad temper then your father?" Merry asks eyeing Legolas with a slightly wary expression.

"No, well not any more than the rest of us. He does not easily trust those from other realms, and has been known to lock travellers up in the dungeons until he verifies their stories." Legolas says earning identical looks of horror from the Hobbits. "But you have to understand my kin have been fighting the darkness left over from when the Dark Lord was in Dol Guldor, orcs and spiders have infested our fair Greenwood the Great for so long that it is now called Mirkwood by all but those of us who dwell there. He has seen his people suffer and fight for many years for without the power of a ring to aid us we have had to keep our borders free of evil only through the power of arms and our own will to survive."

"So have you been fighting all your life?"Pippin asks.

"Not all my life no, but for a vast majority of it yes I have done my part to ensure that our realm remains free of the darkness that has spread far and wide throughout the rest of the forest. That is part of the reason I am so eager for this quest to be successful, for once the Ring is destroyed it is my hope that Greenwood can return once more to the lush and beautiful forest it was in ages past." Legolas says.

"Where is Boromir?" Aragorn asks breaking the silence brought on by Legolas' words.

"I thought he was with you bringing the boats up out of the water." I reply furrowing my brow as I look around for the man from Gondor.

"Nay, well he was but Legolas wished to speak to me alone and so once the task was done I sent him to help with the fire." Aragorn says.

"Well I have not seen him." I say "have any of you seen Boromir?" I ask turning to Gimli and the Hobbits who all shake their heads.

"How about you Mr Frodo have you seen Boromir?" Sam asks turning around to speak to his master only to find he is not there. "Mr Frodo?" he asks.

"Don't tell me Frodo is missing too." I groan.

"That is how it would appear." Aragorn says.

"Well then surely we have to search for him and for Boromir."I say

Aragorn sighs and pushes a hand through his brown hair "Yes I suppose we must. We will split into two groups, Legolas, Gimli and myself will go one way. Kieana, Merry, and Pippin will go the other. Sam can you stay here in case they should come back?" he says.

We all nod in silent agreement before having a hurried discussion of how best to search the area and agreeing to meet back here in an hour to report back on our findings. Once that is all sorted we split into the groups assigned by Aragorn and go our separate ways leaving Sam by the fire.

**A/N: Here's the next chapter guys! I was going to post this tomorrow but decided to post it now at the request of the lovely WoodElfJedi who has been a loyal reader and reviewer for a while now. Hope you enjoyed the chapter and as always please review!**


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12:

**A/N: Chapter twelve is here! Thanks to all my lovely followers, favoriters, reviewers and readers I love you all! Thanks for taking the time to read this story! Please review to let me know what you think and feel free to PM me any time with questions or ideas!**

Kieanas POV

Just as I am about to run off into the woods in search of Frodo and Boromir I feel a warm hand on my wrist and turn around to see the concerned blue eyes of Legolas looking down at me. "Be careful mellon-nin, I sense that we are not alone in these woods." he says.

"W-what is it you sense?" I ask the intensity of his gaze momentarily catching me off guard.

"I do not know, but whatever it is I fear it is not friendly to our cause." he says. "Be on your guard and have your bow at the ready."

"I will." I say forcing myself to smile at him which he returns briefly before releasing my wrist and turning to run off after Aragorn and Gimli.

"What was that all about?" Merry asks when I join him and Pippin at the edge of the forest.

"Nothing he just said to be careful, not to wander too far from the river and to stay together. So don't you two go wandering off ok?" I say deciding to keep Legolas' ominous warning to myself.

"What are we supposed to do if we find them?" Pippin asks.

"Bring them back to camp if we can, they can't have gone far." I say hoping my words are true. "Come on, and have your within easy reach just in case you need them."

"Do you think we will need them?" Merry asks.

"I do not know, I hope not but we are in the wild now and every day we are getting closer to Mordor so you can never be too careful." I say. "It is better to be prepared to fight and not have to, than to not be prepared and be caught unawares."

"I hope Frodo is alright." Merry says.

"So do I Merry, so do I. I asked the Valar to protect him and I am sure Legolas has done the same, and maybe Aragorn as well. Now come let us find your cousin and put your mind at ease." I say.

About half an hour we walk into a clearing, I scan the area quickly searching for any trace of Boromir or Frodo. I am about to suggest we start heading back towards the river to meet back up with the others at the campfire when I hear the sound of many booted feet heading towards us.

. "Draw your swords and get behind me." I call out to the hobbits who are a few feet ahead of me.

"What's wrong?" Merry asks.

"We're not alone" I say the strong, foul scent of orc and something else assaulting my senses.

"W-what do you mean? What's out there?" Pippin asks.

"Yrch." I mutter just as a band of roughly fifty orcs breaks through the tree line. Drawing my bow and fitting an arrow to the string "Run!" I yell releasing the arrow and watching as it sails through the air before burying itself in the skull of an orc bringing him down with a crash.

"But you can't fight them alone." Merry protests drawing his sword.

"I'm just going to hold them off while you two find a place to hide." I say firing another arrow and taking down another orc. "Go! There is no time for debate you must flee!" The two hobbits exchange a look before linking their hands and running off into the forest. I turn and watch them until they are out of sight before returning my attention to the orcs who are now just a few feet away from me, taking a deep breath I sling my bow across my back and unsheathe the twin knives that used to belong to my mother, no I will not think about her now I think to myself forcing the memories to the back of my mind and using my years of training to force myself to focus on the task at hand.

"What have we got here? An elleth alone in the woods? And one from Lothlorien no less. I'm going to enjoy killing you." An orc says earning a growl of approval from those surrounding him.

"I have always wanted to try elf flesh." another says drawing his sword and advancing on me with a snarl.

"You will never have the chance." I say decapitating him easily with my twin blades watching with grim satisfaction as his lifeless body falls to the ground. "Who's next?" I ask turning to face the rest of the orcs who seem to be momentarily stunned by the death of their comrade. I take advantage of those precious seconds and start running after the Hobbits when I hear a horn blow coming from somewhere beside me. Reaching the tree line I look back over my shoulder and see Boromir fighting the orcs I have just escaped. I hesitate a moment before running back and trying to fight my way over to him my years of training allowing me to quickly dispatch my enemies. "Behind you!" I yell out to him seeing a large orc advancing on him with a sword raised above its head ready to strike. Fitting an arrow to my bow I fire at he orc killing it just as it is swinging its sword toward the Gondorian warriors neck.

"It would appear I was wrong about you." he comments as I appear at his side breathing heavily. "You are a fine warrior."

"Now's not really the time, but thank you for your words." I say spinning around and swiftly stabbing the last orc in the chest.

"Where are the little ones?" he asks.

"I had them run, and I would suggest we do the same, more of them are coming this group was just a scouting party." I say just as an arrow comes flying through the air and embeds itself in the mans chest. I look up in horror to see a large orc standing at the edge of the clearing flanked by a massive army.

"Run" Boromir says.

"No! I will not leave you." I say slinging my arm across his shoulder and pulling him with me as the orc fires another arrow in our direction.

"Go, find the Halflings, protect them!" Boromir says shoving me away from him and drawing his sword even as another arrow hits him.

"No!" I protest.

"Go! There is no use in both of us dying." he growls and reluctantly I admit to myself that perhaps he is right.

"You are a noble man Boromir of Gondor, your sacrifice will not be forgotten." I say before reluctantly turning away from him and running as fast as I can away from the oncoming orcs.

* * *

><p>Legolas's POV<p>

"We'll cover more ground if we split up." Aragorn says when we come to a fork in the path. "You two take the left and I will take the right."

"Are you sure it is wise to split up?" I say.

"No, but we need to find Boromir and Frodo and splitting up will allow us to cover more ground more quickly." he says.

"Be careful mellon-nin, we are not alone in these woods." I say.

"I am always careful Legolas you know that." he says with a grin.

"I mean it Estel. I sense the presence of the enemy." I say.

"I will be careful mellon-nin don't worry so much." he says before disappearing down the forest path.

"What is it you sense?" Gimli asks as we start walking together down the opposite path to the one Aragorn did.

"Orcs. I can smell their foul scent on the air" I say.

"Are you sure it isn't something else?" he asks.

"After centuries of fighting them their scent is permanently burned into my brain. I will never forget their foul aroma as long as I live." I say. We continue to walk down the path looking left and right for any sign of our missing companions when the sound of a horn is heard over the chattering of the birds and animals that inhabit the forest.

"What was that?" Gimli asks.

"The horn of Gondor, Boromir needs our help, come quickly and draw your axe!" I say and we break into a run bursting out of the tree line into a clearing strewn with orc bodies, some with Galadhrim arrows sticking out of them. "She was here." I murmur to myself scanning the clearing for any sign of Kieana.

"Who was?" the Dwarf asks.

"Kieana." I say still frantically scanning the sea of bodies for any sign of her.

There's Aragorn." Gimli says as Aragorn walks up us.

"Boromir's dead. He fell defending Merry and Pippin." he says.

"Where are they?" Gimli asks.

"They were taken by the orcs before he could stop them." Aragorn replies.

"They're alive?" Gimli asks.

"They were when the orcs carried them off." he replies.

"Have you seen Frodo or Kieana?" I ask.

"Frodo's gone, he's continuing the journey by himself. I haven't Kieana since we parted ways at the campfire." he says.

"I have to go and find her." I say running to the edge of the clearing and up a small hill that commands a wide view of the area. I scan the trees searching for any sign of where she might have gone growing more frantic by the second until finally after what seems like an eternity I spot her running through the trees in the direction of the river. Satisfied that she is safe I turn around to re-join Aragorn and Gimli only to hear a scream that will haunt me for years to come. I spin back around and watch in horror as a small band of orcs appear in front of Kieana taking her by surprise. She recovers quickly and draws her twin blades spinning around and slashing at the orcs closest to her taking two of them down in one swift motion. I break into a run launch myself from the ground grabbing hold of a tree pulling myself up into its branches.

Keeping my eyes fixed on Kieana I swing from tree to tree, years of running through the treetops of Mirkwood allowing me to move much faster above the ground than I would have on it. I come to a halt when I reach the edge of the small clearing where she is fighting the orcs and look down trying to judge the distance to the ground to see if it will be safe to jump or if I should climb down a few branches first. Coming to the conclusion to jump I drop from the tree landing on the ground with a light thump and start running towards the battle on the opposite side of the clearing. But to my horror before I can reach Kieana and pull her to safety a large orc looms up behind her as if out of nowhere, and in his hands is a large branch which he has raised above his head poised to strike the unsuspecting elleth before him. Frantically I pull my bow from my back fitting an arrow to the string and firing it at the orc even as he brings the branch down on her head causing her to fall to the ground and lie there unmoving. The arrow hits its mark bringing the orc down with a loud crash and causing its companions to flee one of them snatching up the lifeless body of Kieana and slinging her over his shoulder.

A pain the like of which I have never felt before brings me to my knees, it almost feels as if someone has reached into my chest and ripped my heart out. Eventually after what seems like an eternity myself to my feet I slowly walk back through the forest towards the clearing paying no attention to where I am going and almost colliding with Aragorn and Gimli who are coming in the opposite direction carrying the body of Boromir between them.

"Look where you're going pointy-ear, you almost ran into me." the gruff voice of the Dwarf says breaking me out of my numb state and forcing me back to the present.

"Sorry. I wasn't paying attention. "I say.

"That is obvious." Gimli grumbles "and where did you go running off to anyway? We could have done with your help back there."

"I went to find Kieana." I reply and even to my own ears my voice sounds devoid of emotion, something.

Aragorn seems to have picked up on for he is looking at me with his brow furrowed as if in contemplation. "Where is she?" he asks softly.

"They took her." I reply simply before my years of warrior training finally start to kick in and I push my emotions to the back of my mind. "We should honour him for his sacrifice." I say gesturing to the body of Boromir.

"Are you alright mellon-nin?" Aragorn asks his eyebrows raising at the abruptness of my change in attitude.

"I will be fine, there is nothing we can do for her right now, we should focus on the task at hand before deciding or next course of action." I say keeping just barely keeping the warrior mask I have perfected over the centuries in place.

"We will set him in a boat with his affects and send him down the river." Aragorn says. "After that we will continue our journey on foot."

"You mean not to go after Frodo?" I ask a short time later as we watch the boat carrying Boromirs' body drift slowly down the river.

"His fate is out of our hands now." Aragorn replies.

"Where do we go from here?" I ask.

"Well we have two choices. We can either make directly for Gondor or pursue the orcs in the hopes of rescuing Merry, Pippin and Kieana." he says.

"Is there even a question? Surely if there is even a slim chance that she and the hobbits are alive we should search for them, surely we owe them that." I say.

"I agree but I wanted us to make the decision as a group, Legolas, it is apparent that you wish to pursue the orcs and attempt to rescue our companions. Gimli are your thoughts? Shall we go to Gondor or hunt some orcs?" Aragorn asks.

"Lets hunt some orc!" the dwarf says raising his axe above his head as if to emphasize his point.

**A/N: Thanks for reading! Next chapter will be the start of The Two Towers. Hope you liked the chapter! Leave a review and let me know what you think and favourite or follow if you are enjoying the story! **


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13:

**Chapter 13 is done! (finally) Sorry it took me so long to update I had a pretty busy week and didn't find much time to write, and then when I did have time to write I had writers block. But here it is at last, thanks for sticking with me! I hope you enjoy the chapter!**

Legolas's POV

"Legolas, what do your elf eyes see?" Aragorn asks a few hours later, we have been pursuing the orcs who took our friends captive since sending Boromir on his final journey down the river.

I run to the top of a hill and look out over the grasslands searching for any sign of the orcs. "They turned north-east. They are taking the prisoners to Isengard!" I say my heart skipping a beat as I realize who they must be taking them to.

"Saruman must think they have the Ring." Aragorn says coming to stand at my side.

"But then why would they take Kieana?" I ask.

"There could be any number of reasons, perhaps they thought she was dead, or they're taking her to Saruman hoping that he'll be able to get information out of her." he says.

"Do you think there is any hope that she's still alive?" I ask.

"Well they carried her off instead of killing her here in the forest as they did Boromir. That could be taken as a good sign." he says.

"I hope so. We need to catch them before they reach Isengard." I say.

"Is there something I need to know?" he asks.

"I don't know what you're talking about." I reply.

"I've seen the way you look at her and noted your reluctance to part from her when we split up to search for Boromir and Frodo." he says.

"She's a friend, I don't want to see her hurt." I say.

"I have known you for a long time Legolas, and I know there was more than friendship behind your concern for her. What is it you're not telling me mellon-nin?" he asks.

"Before we left Lothlorien her brothers asked me to look out for her on the road. To keep her safe and ensure that she doesn't burn herself out by taking the watch every night so the rest of us can sleep." I explain. "I promised them that I would do so, and now I have failed them. We are but a few days out from Lorien and already I have allowed her to be captured by the enemy."

"So your concern for her safety stems solely from the promise you made to her brothers? The promise to look out for her and to keep her safe?" he asks.

"No, not solely for that reason, but yes that does play a big part in it. We have become friends and I care about her I do want any harm to come to her." I say.

"You want to keep her safe." he comments his tone indicating the words are a statement and not a question.

"Of course I do. She is my companion, an ally in the fight against the ever-increasing darkness, or course I care about her. It is my duty to care about those who ally themselves with me and to protect them when I can. The same goes for all of you, even the dwarf." I say exchanging a smile with Gimli before turning back to Aragorn. "When you are constantly at war, fighting to defend your home from those who would seek to destroy it you learn very quickly that it is vitally important to watch those around you and remain on your guard, for just one slip of concentration could mean the difference between living and dying."

"Where are we?" Gimli asks "How far from Isengard?"

"On the border of Rohan, Isengard is on the opposite border near the gap of Rohan. It would be about a one or two day journey on foot." Aragorn says.

"Two days? Anything could happen in that time." I say.

"All the more reason to keep going as long as we can before we rest." Aragorn says.

"Lead the way." I say.

* * *

><p><span>Kieana's POV<span>

I open my eyes slowly, the foul stench of orc assaulting my senses as I come back to consciousness. I squint my eyes against the harsh sunlight looking around trying to get a bearing on my surroundings. We are travelling at a run across a grassy plain that seems to go on for miles. I am being carried by an orc, slung over his back like a sack of potatoes and I can just see the small forms of Merry and Pippin being carried in a similar fashion a few metres ahead of me.

"I'm not going any further until I get some proper food." the orc says coming to a halt and causing those around him to stop also.

"We've had nothing but maggoty bread for three stinking days, I want some meat!" another orc says.

"Keep moving scum!" one of the bigger orcs says walking towards us from his position at the front of the group.

"Not till we've had some meat. Why can't we eat them?" the first orc says pointing at the hobbits.

"They are not for eating." the big orc says.

"Why not? We could just eat their legs, they don't need those." he says dropping me on the ground and making his way towards the hobbits.

"They are not for eating." the large orc says again grabbing the smaller orc and pulling him away from the hobbits.

"Don't touch me." the smaller orc snarls reaching for the knife at his side and pulling it out of its scabbard, swinging it at the larger orc who quickly draws his own weapon and dispatches his smaller opponent with one swift stab in the stomach.

Jerking the blade out of his victims torso he brings it to his mouth and licks the blood off it before turning to the rest to the rest of the group "Looks like we will be eating meat tonight after all." he says and a battle breaks out between the two groups of orcs, the ones bearing the mark of Saruman and the ones who aren't.

I flatten myself against the ground making myself as small as possible and crawl slowly towards where the hobbits have unceremoniously dumped in a heap. "Merry, Pippin." I whisper as I get closer sending a silent prayer to the Valar that they are ok.

"Kieana?" Pippin asks a look of confusion on his face. "Wh-what are you doing here?" he asks.

"That doesn't matter now, we have to get out of here while they're distracted." I say pulling one of my twin blades from its sheath and cutting the ropes binding their hands together.

"How are we going to do that? We don't even know where we are." Merry chokes out.

"Anywhere is better than where they're taking us trust me." I say.

"Wh-where are they taking us?" Pippin asks.

"To Isengard, the stronghold of Saruman." I say.

"And that's bad?" Pippin asks.

"Yes Pippin, it's bad. He thinks you have the ring." I say.

"But we don't have it. Frodo does, couldn't we just tell him that?" he asks.

"No, because then he would torture you until you tell him what you know of Frodo. He desires power above all else Pippin, and there is nothing he won't do to get his hands on that ring." I say.

"How do we get away?" Merry asks.

"We crawl, get as far away from these monsters as we can. I saw some trees while we were running, there is a forest not far away, make for that and we can hide in the trees." I say.

"OK. But then where do we go?" Pippin asks.

"I don't know, we can figure that out later right now we just have to focus on getting as far away from the orcs as possible." I say.

"How do we get away without drawing attention to ourselves?" Merry asks.

"They're all too focused on killing each other to pay any attention to us. Now is our one and only chance to get away." I say "Stay low to the ground, try not to make any noise and don't look back." We start to crawl dodging the battling orcs and moving around the bodies of the fallen heading for the edge of the fray.

Before we have even made it a few metres from our starting point I hear the sound of hooves thundering across the ground toward us. "What's that noise?" Pippin asks the fear evident in his voice.

"Horses, at least a hundred from the sound of it." I reply.

"Reinforcements from Isengard?" Merry asks.

"No, orcs prefer wargs over horses. It is most likely a group of men, but whether they are friend or foe I cannot say, we must keep moving." I say giving each of them a gentle shove to emphasize my point.

They start to move a little more hesitantly this time, glancing around every now and then for any sigh of the approaching horsemen. We are almost at the edge of the orc pack when I see the first horses emerging out of the darkness each carrying a soldier clad in heavy armour and carrying spears. They are travelling at a swift pace and making a beeline for our location. Knowing they will be here in a matter of seconds I hastily jump to my feet pulling the Hobbits up with me "Run! Make for the forest and do not look back." I say.

"But we can't leave you."Merry says.

"I will be right behind you. Go now! I will meet you at the edge of the forest." I say giving him a gentle shove in the direction of the trees.

"But Kieana..." he protests.

"No Merry! There is not time to argue, you must run!" I say trying to mimic the commanding tone my brother employs when leading the border guard and from the look on the young hobbits face I must be doing an ok job of it for all thought of protest seems to drain from his expression as he gives me a quick nod before taking Pippin by the arm and urging him to run towards the forest.

I heave a sigh of relief as I watch the pair disappear into the darkness before turning to face the remaining orcs drawing my twin blades as I do so.

"Bad idea elleth. Now you will have to answer to Saruman and explain to him why you allowed his prisoners to escape." the large orc who started the battle says.

"Oh I really don't think so." I say glancing over my shoulder as the horsemen come thundering up to us. "Good luck with the Rohirrim." I add with a grin before turning and running straight into the oncoming pack of horses. Knowing my cloak will keep me hidden in the darkness I pull it up over my head and weave through the horses till I find one that is riderless. I reach out gently taking hold of the stallions reins muttering a few words in Elvish as I swing myself into the saddle. Without really thinking about it I pull my twin blades out of their sheath and start killing the orcs around me.

Soon they are all dead and I allow my horse to come to a stop keeping a short distance away from the men. I return my blades to their sheath and watch silently as the men dismount from their horses piling the orc carcasses and set them to burn before climbing back on their horses and galloping away over the plain. I pause for a moment as I decide my best course of action before urging my horse into a gallop and taking off across the plains myself.

**Thanks for reading! I hope the chapter is ok...i don't think its as good as my previous ones but I hope you like it all the same. Thanks to all my lovely readers, reviewers, followers and favouriters i love you all as much as Gimli loves ale! Thanks again! And as always feel free to PM me any time or review/fav/follow if you like the story!**


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14:

**A/N: Sorry for the longer than usual and short chapter. I had writers block but I am back now and will (hopefully) be able to get back to weekly updates. Thanks for sticking with me, reading, reviewing, favouriting and following this story it really means alot! **

Legolas's POV.

We continue to run over the plains pausing every now and then to catch our breath and have a drink of water. Two nights have come and gone and still we are no closer to catching the orcs. My concern for Kieana grows with every passing hour, the thought of losing her causing my heart to ache in a way it hasn't since the death of my mother and I know in the back of my mind that should anything happen to my new friend I would not be able to go on living for life without her would not be worth living.

"Legolas?" Aragorns voice asks bringing me out of my thoughts and back to the present.

"Are you ok laddie?" Gimli asks glancing up at me with a questioning look on his face.

"Fine, just thinking about home. Wondering how my father is." I say. "If he is managing to keep the spiders at bay."

"You are worrying over a little infestation of spiders in your palace? Surely there are more pressing matters." Gimli says.

"These are not your run of the mill garden spider Master Dwarf, they are man eaters with enough venom to kill a man if he is not treated swiftly." Aragorn says.

"You have experience with them?" Gimli asks.

"I have come across them once or twice in my travels over the years, they are quick, hard to kill and tend to travel in packs." Aragorn says.

"We need to get out of sight." I say. "There is a band of horsemen coming, they are but a few leagues off and riding hard."

We run to a nearby cluster of rocks and hide behind them disappearing from site mere seconds before the horses come thundering past us.

"They are from Rohan, they may be able to help us."Aragorn says before he runs out from our hiding place and hails them. "Riders of Rohan! What news from the Mark?"

A man at the front of the pack raises his spear and the group turns around and comes to surround the three of us in a tight circle spears pointing at us from all directions.

"What business does an Elf, a Man and a Dwarf have in the Riddermark? Speak quickly." a man who I am assuming is the leader demands.

I hear sense Gimli's unease as the dwarf fingers his axe before staring defiantly up at the man before us "Give me your name horsemaster and I shall give you mine." he says.

At this the man hands his spear to one of his companions and dismounts from his horse before drawing his sword and pointing at Gimli "I would cut off your head, Dwarf if it stood but a little higher from the ground." he says in a threatening tone.

Not liking that this man is threatening my friend and companion I remove my bow from my back and nock an arrow pointing it at the man and glaring at him "You would die before your stroke fell." I say.

"And you would die shortly thereafter." a voice says from behind me and I feel the cold of steel on my neck as a man holds his sword to my throat.

"I would not do that if I was you." a soft voice says and a hooded figure pushes through the riders and comes to a stop in front of the horsemens leader. "You know not whom you threaten."

"It matters not who they are, only that they are in Rohan without first seeking permission from the King." The leader says.

"Well unless you would like to incur the wrath of the Elven King I would strongly suggest you ask your man to lower his sword." the hooded figure says.

The leaders face pales slightly at the mention of my Father but he recovers quickly and stares defiantly at the hooded figure. "Why would the Elven King have any interest in what happens in my lands?" he asks.

"He wouldn't." the figure says. "If however you slay his son I assure you he will not merely be interested in the goings on in Rohan. He will send forth an army the likes of which will swiftly lay to waste all that you have fought so hard to build and Saruman will be the least of your troubles."

"To my knowledge I have not threatened his son." the man says.

"No. But you are holding him at knife point." the figure replies.

"And why should I take your word for it when you will not even show your face?" he asks.

The figure throws back their hood meeting the mans gaze and a sense of relief floods through me as I recognize the long blonde hair and pointed ears of my friend. "I am Kieana of Lothlorien." she says. "These are my companions Aragorn son of Arathorn, Gimli son of Gloin and Legolas son of Thranduil who as you are no doubt aware is the King of Northern Mirkwood."

"We are friends of Rohan and of your King." Aragorn says pushing my arm down so my arrow is pointed at the ground. I comply with his silent request but keep the arrow nocked in case things take a turn for the worse.

"Theoden no longer recognizes friend from foe."he continues removing his helmet and sheathing his sword. "Not even his own kin. I am Eomer, his nephew with me are those still loyal to Rohan and for that we are banished for Saruman has poisoned the mind of the King and taken lordship over these lands." he adds and his men lower their weapons. Satisfied that we are no longer under threat I return the arrow to my quiver before slinging the my bow over my back.

"We are pursuing a party of Uruk-hai westward across the plains, they have taken two of our friends captive." Aragorn says.

"The Uruks are destroyed, we slaughtered them during the night." Eomer says.

"But there were two Hobbits, did you see to Hobbits with them?"Gimli asks.

"They would be small, only children to your eyes." Aragorn adds.

"We left none alive. We piled the carcasses and burned them." Eomer says pointing to a smoking pile in the distance.

"Dead?" Gimli asks.

Eomer nods grimly "I am sorry.

"There is no need for apologies my lord." Kieana says and I shoot her a questioning look. "Merry and Pippin are alive, the orcs started fighting and we made our escape." she says.

"But I saw no sign of you among the orcs." Eomer says.

"Nay you would not have, for the cloaks of my people keep us hidden from unfriendly eyes and you were focused on the battle." she says.

Eomer regards her for a few moments before turning his head and whistling "Hasufel, Arod." he calls and two horses one grey and one brown come trotting through the riders towards him. "May these horses bear you to better fortune than their former masters, farewell." he says putting his helmet back on his head and returning to his horse.

Just as they are turning to leave a third horse comes trotting through the crowd, this one coming to a halt in front of Kieana and thrusting his nose into her hands. "Would you mind if I continue to ride this horse?" she asks reaching up and patting the tall black stallion in front of her.

"It seems he has already made his choice." Eomer says with a smile. "We ride North!" he calls to his men and we watch as they ride away across the plains.

**A/N I know this is shorter than normal and I am sorry for that..but as I said before I had wicked bad writers block. Thanks for reading and please feel free to review, fav, follow and PM me if you wish! Also suggestions if you have any suggestions for how the Kieana/Legolas relationship could progress feel free to let me know in a review or PM...and also a name for Kieanas horse would be great. Thanks again lovely readers!**


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15:

**A/N: Chapter Fifteen is up, I hope you enjoy it please read and review and let me know what you think.**

Kieana's POV

I watch as Eomer and his men ride away across the plains kicking up a cloud of dust in their wake. Once they are out of site I turn around to face my three companions. "I hope I did not speak out of turn when I revealed your identity to Eomer and his men." I say quietly un able to make myself meet Legolas's keen blue eyes.

"Nay, you did not speak out of turn mellon-nin. I would probably be dead now had it not been for your swift thinking." Legolas says the warmth in his tone chasing away any fears that he would be angry with me.

"How did you manage to escape from the orcs? Surely they greatly outnumbered you." Gimli says.

"Aye that they did master dwarf. But there were two different bands of orcs trying to work together, the Uruk-Hai bearing the white hand of Saruman and a contingent of orcs in the service of Sauron. They had a disagreement when we were three days into our journey across the plains to Isengard and battle ensued. I took advantage of their distraction urging the hobbits to crawl to the edge of the scuffle before sending them to wait for me at the edge of Fangorn forest." I say.

"If we leave now and ride hard we should be able to make it to the forest by nightfall." Aragorn says.

"Well then lets ride." I say swinging myself up into my horses saddle and waiting while the others mount their horses, Gimli choosing to ride behind Legolas on the grey while Aragorn rides the brown.

The next few hours pass in companionable silence as we ride across the plains to the outskirts of Fangorn forest. We dismount and search for any trace of the hobbits. After about an hour of searching I hear Aragorns voice coming to us from a few metres away "I found tracks that lead into the forest." he says. "Come we have to find them."

We walk into the forest keeping close together and watching for any signs of danger. "This forest is old, full of memory." Legolas says reaching out and touching the bole of the nearest tree. "The trees are speaking to each other." he says.

"Gimli!" Aragorn calls softly.

"Huh?" the Dwarf asks a hint of fear in his tone.

"Lower your axe." Aragorn says.

"Oh." Gimli says lowering the weapon and continuing to look around nervously.

"They have feelings too my friend. The Elves began it, waking up the trees and teaching them to speak." Legolas says to the dwarf.

"Talking trees!" Gimli scoffs "What do they have to talk about hmm? Except for the consistency of squirrel droppings."

"What do they talk about?" I whisper quietly to Legolas who is standing a few feet from me, eyes closed with his hand resting on the bole of a large tree.

"They were worried about the axe...orcs near Isengard have been coming into the forest and cutting down trees for Saruman and it makes them angry." he says turning to me with a smile, his bright blue eyes breifly finding my brown ones and sending a slight shiver down my spine before he turns to scan the forest once more.

I am about to ask him something else when I see him visibly tense his hand slipping form the tree bole and inching towards his bow. "What is it?" I ask.

"Aragorn, nad no ennas." he says turning to look at Aragorn who is a few feet behind us.

"Man cenich?" Aragorn asks coming to stand just behind us.

Legolas glances at him over his shoulder before replying "The White Wizard approaches."

"S-saruman?" I ask.

"U-iston." Legolas replies in a whisper.

"Do not let him speak. He will put a spell on us. We will have to be quick!" Aragorn says reaching for his sword. We draw closer together and turn around as one Gimli reaching for his axe and Legolas and I for our bows. Before we can attack however we are blinded by a bright light coming from the Wizard in front of us.

"You are tracking two young hobbits." a deep male voice says.

"Where are they?" Aragorn demands.

"They passed this way the day before yesterday. They met someone that did not expect. Does that comfort you?" the voice asks sounding different to how it did the first time it spoke.

"That is not Saruman." I whisper so that only Legolas can hear.

"Who are you? Show yourself!" Aragorn demands cutting of Legolas's reply.

The light dims and I take an involuntary step back as Gandalf appears before us dressed in white robes. We bow before him looking up at him with a mixture of shock and joy.

"It cannot be." Aragorn says the surprise evident in his voice.

"Forgive me." Legolas says softly "I mistook you for Saruman."

Gandalf smiles at him and gestures for us to stand "I am Saruman. Or rather Saruman as he should have been." he says.

"You fell!" Aragorn says.

"Through fire. And water."Gandalf says "From the lowest dungeon to the highest peak I fought him, the Balrog of Morgoth. Until at last I threw down my enemy and smote his ruin upon the mountainside. Darkness took me and I strayed out of thought and time. Stars wheeled overhead and every day was as long as a life-age of the earth. But it was not the end, I felt life in me again. I've been sent back until my task is done."

"Gandalf!" Aragorn exclaims.

"Gandalf? Yes...that is what they used to call me Gandalf the Grey that was my name." Gandalf says with a smile.

"Gandalf!" Gimli exclaims a smile lighting up his face.

"I am Gandalf the White. I come to you now at the turn of the tide." Gandalf says throwing his old grey cloak over his new white robes. "One part of your journey is over and another begins, war is brewing in Rohan we must ride with haste to Edoras"

We follow him the edge of the forest and he whistles sharply. Almost immediately an answering neigh is heard before a tall white stallion comes galloping across the plains towards us followed by Hasufel, Arod and Tungol. "That is one of the Mearas, unless my eyes are cheated by some spell." Legolas says looking up at the horse in awe as it comes to a stop in front of us.

"Shadowfax. He's the lord of all horses and he's been my friend through many dangers." Gandalf says and we all climb up onto our horses and ride back across the plains towards the Golden Hall.

* * *

><p>A few hours later a large hall comes into view. It sits on top of a small hill and is built of large wooden beams decorated with Gold. We come to a halt on the plains a few leagues from the hill looking up at the grand building sitting proudly above the town of Edoras the chief settlement of Rohan. "Edoras and the Golden Hall of Meduseld. There dwells Theoden, King of Rohan whose mind is overthrown. Sarumans hold over King Theoden is now very strong" Gandalf explains.<p>

"What are you going to do?" I ask.

"Attempt to break that hold and return Theoden to his right so that he might rule his country once more." Gandalf replies. "Be careful what you say, do not look for welcome here." he adds before giving Shadowfax a kick and leading the way into Edoras and up to the Golden hall where we dismount and approach the hall.

We climb the stairs and are about to pull open the large wooden doors when we are intercepted by a guard. "I cannot allow you before Theoden King so armed Gandelf Greyhame. By order of Grima Wormtoungue." the mans say.

Gandalf nods and hands off his sword before motioning for us to do the same. Aragorn hands over his sword and knives, Legolas his bow and twin daggers before Gimli somewhat reluctantly hands over his axe.

"And you My Lady, you also must relinquish your weapons before you can enter the hall." the guard says.

I sigh and remove my bow and quiver from my back handing them to the guard who sets them on the ground beside the others.

"And your knives, I will need to take those as well." the mans says gesturing to my twin daggers which are still in their sheathes at my side.

"I can't give you them, but I assure you I will not make use of them." I say.

"You must hand them over or you will not be allowed before King Theoden." he says.

"Then I will wait out here." I say.

"Kieana just give him the daggers." Aragorn says a slight note of frustration in his tone.

"I can not to do that, I will not." I say turning and walking away from the group without another word. I walk to the edge of the small stone courtyard and look out over the plains of Rohan fighting back the tears that are threatening to spill from my eyes. I take a deep breath and close my eyes for a moment wishing not for the first time that I was back in the safety of Lorien with my brothers when I feel an arm wrap around my shoulders pulling me into a warm half embrace.

"No harm will come to your daggers mellon-nin." the soft voice of Legolas says quietly so that only I can hear.

"They are all that I have left of my mother." I respond in a slightly choked voice as a few tears leak from my eyes.

"No one will lay a finger on them, I will see to that myself." he says.

"How are you going to do that?" I ask looking up at him questioningly.

"I have my ways." he says cryptically. "Do you trust me?" he asks.

"With my life." I respond quietly.

"Come mellon-nin our company is not complete without you." he says removing his arm from around me and taking my hand instead.

I glance down at our linked hands and take a deep breath before looking up at him with a smile "Lets go." I say softly allowing him to lead me back up the steps to where our companions are waiting.

"Will you relinquish your blades now my lady?" the guard asks and I nod before unsheathing them and holding them out for him to take letting go of Legolas's hand in the process.

"If any harm should come to these blades I will personally see to it that the one responsible comes to regret his actions." Legolas says as the man takes the daggers from me and sets them down beside my bow. "Do you understand?" he asks looking the man directly in the eyes as he turns back to us.

The man visibly blanches at the commanding look in the bright blue eyes of the elf before him "No one will touch them." he says.

"See that they don't." Legolas says.

"No one is to lay a hand on these weapons is that understood?" the man says the nearby guards and I glance around to see them all nodding in agreement.

"Thankyou." Legolas says dropping the commanding tone and offering the man a smile. "May we now be allowed before the King?" he asks.

"Just one more thing." the man says nervously glancing at Gandalf. "Your staff."

"Eh? Oh no surely you would not part an old man from his walking stick?" Gandalf asks.

The guard looks at him for a moment before shaking his head slightly and stepping back to allow us to pass him and enter the hall. Gandalf winks at him and takes hold of Legolas's as we enter the hall. I try to hide my grin as I walk a few paces behind them and find myself walking along side Gimli.

**A/N: Thanks for reading please follow, fav, and review or even PM me if you want.**


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